Actor Sean Penn in Ukraine to film the war for ‘a documentary’
Hollywood to the rescue: Actor Sean Penn sits in front row of Ukrainian government press briefing after flying to war-struck Kiev to ‘film the war for a documentary’
- Sean Penn has been filming a documentary about the escalating tension in Ukraine since November last year
- On Thursday, he visited the Ukrainian Government’s offices and spoke with military leaders
- The actor sat front row in a press briefing, wearing sunglasses and a beige bomber jacket
- He is being lauded by the Ukrainian Government, which said he has the courage ‘Western leaders lack’
- Putin launched airstrikes at 5am on Thursday local time; thousands are now trying to flee the region
- Biden has vowed not to send American troops into the conflict – he is due to speak at noon today
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American actor Sean Penn is in Ukraine to film the fast-escalating war, and sat front row at a government press briefing on Thursday as airstrikes rang out across the country.
Drama-chasing Penn – who found himself in the cartel’s firing line in 2016 after getting in touch with fugitive drug lord El Chapo – sat with his sunglasses on for the press briefing at the Ukrainian government offices.
Penn has been filming a documentary about escalating tensions in the region for months. He flew back to Kiev earlier this week, before Putin invaded the country, but does not appear to be in any rush to leave.
In a translated Facebook post, the Ukrainian government said it was grateful for him being there. He was lauded as being more courageous than Western leaders.
‘An American actor and filmmaker, Oscar winner Sean Penn arrived to Ukraine. The director specially came to Kiev 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.
Actor and director Sean Penn attends a press briefing at the Presidential Office in Kiev, Ukraine February 24, 2022 while Mikhail Podoliak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office adviser, speaks
Actor and director Sean Penn attends a press briefing at the Presidential Office in Kiev, Ukraine February 24, 2022
Actor and director Sean Penn attends a press briefing at the Presidential Office in Kiev, Ukraine February 24, 2022
Actor and director Sean Penn attends a press briefing at the Presidential Office in Kiev, Ukraine February 24, 2022
In a translated Facebook post, the Ukrainian government said it was grateful for him being there. He was lauded as being more courageous than Western leaders.
‘This morning the director visited the Office of the President and visited the press briefing of the advisor of the head of the Office of the Head of State Mikhail Podolâk and the Vice Prime Minister – the Minister of the Reintegration of temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine Irina Vere щуuk.
‘He spoke to journalists, to our military, saw how we defend our country.
‘Sean Penn demonstrates the courage that many others, especially western politicians lack.’
‘The more such people, true friends of Ukraine, who support the fight for freedom, the sooner it will be possible to stop the massive attack on Russia,’ a statement on the Ukrainian government’s Facebook page read.
Earlier in the week, he was spotted out at dinners in Kiev with other journalists.
Penn is settling in while thousands of others try desperately to flee the country.
Thousands of Ukrainians took shelter in underground subway stations to hide from the chaos while Americans stranded there boarded buses to flee to Poland or Romania.
Penn with Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Alexander Rodnyansky in Kiev on Tuesday night, a day before the first bombs were dropped
Penn is pictured in Kiev earlier this week with war reporter former U.S. Air Force special operations pilot Nolan Peterson (center) and columnist and editor Vladislav Davidzon
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