Prince Harry arrives in Kyiv for a dinner where Ukrainian borscht takes center stage

Prince Harry's visit to Ukraine

According to Главком: On April 23, 2026, Prince Harry of the United Kingdom made an unannounced visit to Ukraine. During his trip, he met with chef Volodymyr Yaroslavskyi, who prepared a charity dinner in support of the Invictus Games movement. Founded by Prince Harry in 2014, this initiative has been actively supporting Ukrainian veterans and military personnel since 2016.

Volodymyr Yaroslavskyi, also known as a judge on the show "MasterChef Ukraine," shared his experience of preparing the dinner:

"This is Prince Harry. And yesterday I cooked dinner for him. Honestly? I was very nervous. And it's not even about the guest's status, but about the fact that through my dishes I introduce a person to Ukraine. Either they taste the country, or they don't. And that's entirely on me."

This marked Prince Harry's third visit to Kyiv. According to Yaroslavskyi, Harry knows that his mother, Princess Diana, was very fond of borscht: "I read that she even added milk or yogurt to it-an interesting fact, right? The prince himself has loved simple food since childhood. So I decided not to overcomplicate things, but to cook from the heart and from tradition."

Evening menu

The menu for the evening included:

• Ukrainian borscht made with homemade kvass
• Pickled ramson (wild garlic)
• Garlic scapes
• Organic dill

The wine was sourced from Ukrainian producers, an initiative led by Olia Khirman. The cultural practice of "Ukrainian borscht cooking" was recently added to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. This decision was made on July 1 during an extraordinary session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Emphasizing the importance of supporting Ukraine, Prince Harry stated:

"The path to recovery is not traveled alone. That's why I am here-to work alongside you."

He also added, "It's good to be back in Ukraine," expressing his desire to "remind people at home and around the world what Ukraine is facing, and to support the people and partners who are doing extraordinary work every hour of every day in incredibly difficult conditions."

To conclude the evening, Prince Harry met with war veteran and star of the 13th season of the show "The Bachelor," Oleksandr Budko, known as Teren. This visit was a significant event, highlighting international support for Ukrainian military personnel and veterans.

Prince Harry's visit to Ukraine underscores the importance of international support amid the country's ongoing challenges. The involvement of prominent figures in charitable events like the Invictus Games aims to raise awareness about the issues faced by veterans and military personnel, while also strengthening cultural ties between Ukraine and the United Kingdom. The inclusion of Ukrainian borscht on the cultural heritage list further signals growing global interest in Ukrainian cuisine.

During his visit, Prince Harry also engaged in discussions with various Ukrainian officials, highlighting the importance of international support for Ukraine. For a deeper insight into his meetings and the cultural exchanges that took place, you can read more about his interactions with Ukraine’s Prime Minister and the special gifts presented by chef Klopotenko in our detailed coverage here.