Prince Harry Vows to Help Ukraine Host Invictus Games Once War Is Over
The Duke of Sussex made the special promise to wounded veterans when he made a surprise solo visit to the war-torn country.
PRINCE Harry has vowed to hold a special Invictus Games in Ukraine after the war with Russia.
The Duke of Sussex made a surprise visit to the war-torn country, his fourth since Russia's invasion in 2022, as he made a special declaration to wounded veterans. He was in the western city of Lviv, near the Polish border, to attend the trials for the Ukrainian national team that will compete at next year’s 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.
Prince Harry visited a school sports hall, where he sported a jacket with the Invictus Games logo to watch the wheelchair rugby players. Athletes zoomed around as they vied for a place in Ukraine's team at the special upcoming international sporting event, which was originally founded by the prince. The games are specifically for veterans and serving military personnel to compete.
Harry remarked: "When the war is over and when Ukraine wins, we will be ready to support you in holding an Invictus Games".
Ukraine plans to send its largest-ever team to Birmingham, made up of 60 athletes. The country has around 1.4 million combat veterans, over 10 per cent of whom have disabilities, amid the ongoing war with Russia, which has caused a surge of those in the country losing limbs.
At the trials, the Duke spotted a player he recognised, Valery Odainyk, 41, who last competed at the 2025 games in Canada - and has an amputated leg. After sharing a hug with the Prince, he told an extremely surprised Harry that he was "still an active serviceman".
On Saturday (November 15) evening, Harry met more wounded veterans who were new to adaptive sport. The prince spoke about a sense of comradeship as he sat on the stage of a dimly lit theatre. He told them: "With this Invictus community, you know you belong here. So welcome to our family."
Reassuring the newcomers, he told them: "When you join, you may be a little bit nervous, unsure ...[but] you realise that every single person around you in this room has something in common with you".
Harry served as a soldier in the British Army himself. He served two active tours of duty in Afghanistan - the first as a Junior officer (Cornet in the Blues and Royals) and a qualified Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) between 2007 and 2008. The second came at the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013, when he was an Apache attack helicopter co-pilot and gunner.
The Prince has previously spoken of how he was profoundly moved as he witnessed death and life-changing injuries while on deployment. In Lviv, he stated: "The people who have served, the people that are serving and the people who serve the veteran community are the best of society."
