Duchess's tribute to Ukraine's Bucha dead as she becomes first royal to visit since invasion
The Duchess of Edinburgh has paid tribute to the people who died in Bucha during a visit which has made her the first British royal to go to Ukraine since Russia's invasion.
Sophie paid her respects to those who were killed in the Ukrainian city two years on from its liberation from Russian forces.
Bucha was occupied by Russian forces for a total of 33 days, with Ukrainian authorities reporting hundreds of civilians killed during that time.
Residents of the city are still trying to identify all the victims and are pushing for the killings in Bucha to be recognised as a war crime.
During the trip, Sophie also visited the 'Road to Life', a bridge which became a key part of the Ukrainian resistance when it was blown up to stop Russian troops proceeding to Kyiv – later becoming a vital route for people to flee to safety from the Russian occupation.
She also met the President and first lady of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky and Olena Zelenska, and delivered a message to them on behalf of King Charles.
They discussed how to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and the women peacebuilders who have a part to play in ensuring Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction is effective and long-lasting.
It was at the request of the Foreign Office that the Duchess of Edinburgh visited Ukraine in order to show solidarity with the women, men and children impacted by the war.
The visit also saw Sophie continuing her work to champion survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and torture, which included meeting survivors who shared their stories.
She also talked to children who had been returned to Ukraine after being forcibly separated from their families and deported by Russia as part of a sustained campaign to erase Ukrainian culture.
Speaking at an evening reception at the residence of the UK ambassador to Ukraine, Sophie said she had travelled to many countries in conflict or post-conflict, and "women and girls pay the highest price in terms of human costs".
"Rape is used to demean, to degrade and to destroy," she said. "And we have to get better at trying to prevent that from happening.
"Where we cannot prevent it from happening, what we must do is put measures in place to support those who have fallen victim to such crimes."
The Duchess said she had met survivors of sexual violence and thanked them for their "honesty in telling [her] what happened to them".
"I hear many stories like this, sadly, from around the world. But I appreciate their time and their openness."
The Duchess added that she had met people who "played a large role in Bucha and Irpin" to help their communities, and she will "take those stories home in my heart".
Sophie announced her commitment to champion the UK's Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) and the UN's Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS) on International Women’s Day.
She has visited a number of countries over the years to highlight the impact of historical and ongoing conflict, including Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia.
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