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Duchess of Edinburgh Makes Historic Visit to Ukraine, Advocates Against Conflict Sexual Violence

The Duchess of Edinburgh has made history by becoming the first member of the British royal family to visit Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began two years ago, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday. Sophie, Princess Edward (King Charles’ younger sister) traveled to Ukraine yesterday to demonstrate her solidarity with survivors of sexual violence and torture inflicted during conflicts. As an advocate for preventing sexual violence in conflict zones as well as the UN Women, Peace & Security Agenda, she met with victims who have spoken out about their experiences with great courage, calling on everyone else to continue being empathetic toward such violations against human rights. Sophie’s visit also included paying her respects at Bucha, a suburb near Kyiv where over 300 innocent people – women and children amongst them- were brutally murdered during the Russian occupation in March of last year. The UN has previously accused Russia of using rape as part of its military strategy against Ukraine; however, CNN could not independently confirm this allegation at the time it was made. When she met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena to discuss support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, Sophie also discussed women’s roles in ensuring that postwar reconstruction efforts are effective and long-lasting. The Duchess has previously visited countries like Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Colombia where she heard firsthand accounts from survivors who have experienced conflict-related sexual violence. Last month (March 2023), Prince William also made a visit to Ukraine’s border with Poland in order to meet British and Polish troops collaborating on supporting Ukrainians impacted by the ongoing invasion that Russia launched almost two years ago. CNN correspondent Lauren Said-Moorhouse contributed reporting for this article.

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