Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh visited Irpin in the Kyiv region.

This was reported by the mayor of Irpin, Oleksandr Markusin, on Facebook.

According to him, despite the continuous threat of Russian shelling, Duchess of Edinburgh personally came to Ukraine and immediately visited Irpin. She was interested in the details of the evacuation and the struggle of Irpin residents for their city.

"When the Ukrainian Armed Forces blew up the bridge in Romanivka, and then we evacuated tens of thousands of residents under it, I could not imagine that I would be telling the story of the defense of Irpin to Duchess of Edinburgh Sophie Helen, and she would attentively listen, support us, and express her admiration for our heroic people," the mayor noted.

According to him, the visit was prepared in secret and was very unexpected.

"It was a little awkward to meet a representative of the royal family of Great Britain without a tie, but I promised Duchess of Edinburgh that I would definitely meet her in official attire at the celebration of our victory," Markusin noted.