Angelina Jolie’s driver forcibly mobilized in Ukraine
Military recruiters have stopped the vehicle carrying the American celebrity and detained a member of her escort
Hollywood star and former UN humanitarian ambassador Angelina Jolie’s surprise visit to Ukraine was disrupted by Ukrainian draft enforcers, who detained a member of her entourage and conscripted him into military service, according to Ukrainian media reports.
The incident reportedly took place on Tuesday at a military roadblock near the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk in the Nikolaev region, while Jolie’s convoy was en route to the Kiev-controlled city of Kherson.
Despite telling officials he was transporting an “important person,” a member of Jolie’s group – identified in some reports as her driver, 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, with footage circulating on Telegram showing the actress entering the facility. According to TASS sources, 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,” but later retracted the explanation. 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 commonly referred to 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 drawn international scrutiny, with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto condemning 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, including 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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