Sean Penn in Ukraine to work on documentary on Russia invasion

Actor and filmmaker Sean Penn is in Ukraine to film a documentary on the ongoing Russian invasion. 

The Office of the President wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday that Penn attended press briefings. He also met with Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk and spoke to journalists and military personnel about the Russian invasion.

“The director specially came to Kyiv to record all the events that are currently happening in Ukraine and to tell the world the truth about Russia’s invasion of our country. Sean Penn is among those who support Ukraine in Ukraine today. Our country is grateful to him for such a show of courage and honesty,” the Ukrainian government’s statement said.

“Sean Penn is demonstrating bravery that many others have been lacking, in particular some Western politicians. The more people like that—true friends of Ukraine, who support the fight for freedom—the quicker we can stop this heinous invasion by Russia,” the statement added. 

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Penn was previously in the country last November to work on the project, which is being produced by VICE Studios. 

Photographs and videos taken at the time showed him visiting the frontlines of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the Donetsk region. He was also photographed dressed in combat gear while filming with his crew.

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Penn has been involved in several international humanitarian and anti-war efforts over the years and founded the non-profit disaster relief organization CORE in response to the 2010 earthquakes in Haiti, chronicled in the documentary “Citizen Penn.”

On Thursday morning, Russian military vehicles crossed from Belarus into Ukraine at the Senkovka crossing point in the Chernihiv region. The Russian military said that it destroyed 83 Ukrainian military facilities and confirmed that its forces have moved into Ukraine from Crimea.