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Jessica Chastain shares footage from ‘life-changing’ Ukraine trip

‘We can’t forget the innocent ones effected by senseless acts of violence,’ said actor

Ellie Harrison
Friday 02 September 2022 21:28 BST
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Zelensky meets American actress Jessica Chastain in Kyiv

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Jessica Chastain has shared footage from her trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, as the country enters its seventh month of war with Russia.

Sharing a video that showed destroyed buildings and displaced children on Twitter on Thursday (1 September), the Molly’s Game star told fans that she had “needed a few weeks to process everything I saw from my trip to Kyiv”.

In one clip, she can be seen visiting a local children’s hospital where a child gives her a piece of art they made.

“One of the experiences from this life-changing trip was my visit to the children’s hospital: Ohmatdyt,” she wrote. “I had the opportunity to meet incredible children and the director, Volodymyr Zhovnir. The children amazed me with their hope and strength.

“Many had been displaced from their homes and spent months in the hospital. It is a huge humanitarian crisis going on in the Ukraine.

“We can’t forget the innocent ones effected by senseless acts of violence. I am grateful to have met these sweet little kids with big brave hearts.”

Last month, Chastain met with Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

Zelensky posted pictures of the pair together on his social media, commenting that “such visits of famous people are extremely valuable” for awareness about the war.

Other Hollywood stars such as Sean Penn, Angelina Jolie, and Ben Stiller have previously made the trip to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February.

Chastain’s latest post comes after a Washington official stated that Russia could begin to deploy convicted criminals in its war against Ukraine as it looks to fill a shortage of manpower in its armed forces.

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