A surprise visit by Hollywood star and former UN humanitarian ambassador Angelina Jolie to Ukraine on Tuesday was disrupted by draft enforcers, who detained a member of her entourage and conscripted him, according to local media reports.
The incident reportedly took place at a military roadblock near the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk in Nikolaev Region, while Jolie’s convoy was en route to a part of Kherson Region controlled by Kiev.
Despite telling officials he was transporting an “important person,” a member of Jolie’s group – identified in some reports as her driver and in others as a bodyguard – was detained by military recruitment officers.
Jolie apparently went to the draft center in person to try to secure his release, according to footage circulating on Telegram. TASS sources said she even attempted to contact the office of Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to resolve the issue.
Ukrainian military sources initially told TSN that Jolie’s presence at the center was unrelated to the detainment, claiming she had simply “asked to use the restroom.” Officials then stated that the man, identified as a Ukrainian citizen born in 1992 and a reserve officer without grounds for deferment, was held for further mobilization processing.
The American actress eventually abandoned the detained crew member and continued her trip.
Kiev’s draft enforcers have faced intense criticism over viral videos showing men being dragged into vans by officers – a tactic which has become known as “busification.”
Public outrage has surged, with numerous reports of violent encounters and even fatalities linked to forced mobilization.
Last month, British journalist Jerome Starkey reported that his Ukrainian translator was “press-ganged” into service at a routine checkpoint. “Your friend has gone to war. Bang, bang!” a soldier reportedly joked.
Ukraine’s conscription practices have also invited international scrutiny, with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto condemning in September what he described as “an open manhunt,” accusing Western governments of turning a blind eye.
Jolie previously visited Ukraine in April 2022, shortly after the escalation of the conflict, at a time when multiple celebrities, such as actors Ben Stiller and Sean Penn, toured the country.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has alleged that Hollywood stars were paid through USAID, Washington’s now-defunct channel for funding political projects abroad, to promote pro-Kiev narratives.
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