Sean Penn is on the ground in Ukraine filming a documentary about Russia’s invasion, Vice Studios have confirmed to Variety.
This week, Vladimir Putin announced that his "special military operation" is underway, as Russian forces crossed the border into Ukraine.
As Russia continues ahead with its invasion of Ukraine, the Oscar-winning actor was seen at a press briefing at the Presidential Office in Kyiv amid the Russian invasion.
Penn was photographed in Ukraine at a press briefing by the Ukrainian government in Kyiv on Thursday, February 24, as Russia began a full-scale attack on its neighbor.
Penn previously visited the country in November 2021 to begin preparing for his documentary.
Per Newsweek, his visits were documented by the Ukrainian joint forces operation press service, which posted photos of the meetings on social media at the time.
The 61-year-old arrived in Kyiv earlier this week. According to the publication, he met with deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk, as well as members of the military and local journalists.
The office of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky issued a statement in praise of Penn.
A translation of the statement commends the actor for coming 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".
The statement continued: "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."
Ukraine's health minister has said 57 people have been killed as a result of the Russian invasion, with 169 more wounded.
The White House has issued a statement in response to Russia's invasion, with Biden stating: "President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.
"Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable."