Sean Penn has seemingly managed to get out of Ukraine after abandoning his car at the Polish border.
Penn was in the country, working on a documentary about Russia's aggression toward Ukraine when the invasion began. He has briefly spoken out about his take on the situation, calling for America to join the fight or risk losing its soul.
On Monday, Penn tweeted, revealing that he was leaving the country and on his way to Poland. On his way, he described some of the sights he was seeing as thousands of others attempted to flee the country.
Penn said: "Myself & two colleagues walked miles to the Polish border after abandoning our car on the side of the road. Almost all the cars in this photo carry women & children only, most without any sign of luggage, and a car their only possession of value."
Further setting the scene, Penn shared an image of what looks like him, walking along a highway with a suitcase. To his right is a row of cars seemingly stuck in traffic. Further in the distance, more people can be seen walking along the middle of the road. The Ukrainian-Polish border is over 500 kilometers long and it's unclear where exactly Penn and his two colleagues were along that stretch.
Myself & two colleagues walked miles to the Polish border after abandoning our car on the side of the road. Almost all the cars in this photo carry women & children only, most without any sign of luggage, and a car their only possession of value. pic.twitter.com/XSwCDgYVSH
— Sean Penn (@SeanPenn) February 28, 2022
On Saturday, February 26, Penn sent a statement to Newsweek, describing his take on the conflict. He praised the Ukrainian people and the reaction from President Zelensky. He suggested Putin had made a "most horrible mistake for all of humankind" and went on to call for America not to let Ukraine fight alone.
On Sunday, Penn tweeted again, telling his followers that if anyone is invested in the story and wants to learn more about the situation in Ukraine, to watch the 2015 documentary Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom.
News of Penn's presence in Ukraine emerged on Wednesday, the same day as the invasion started when the Office of the President of Ukraine praised Penn for his "courage and honesty."
Penn first arrived in Ukraine in November 2021 to shoot a documentary that's being produced by VICE Studios. During that trip he was photographed wearing combat gear while speaking to Ukrainian military personnel in the Donbas region.
Penn has received praise online for his work in Ukraine. Responding to his recent tweet about his departure from the country, he received hundreds of replies, and thousands of likes and retweets.
It's not the first time Penn's humanitarian work has been recognized globally. He set up the non-profit Community Organized Relief Effort, or CORE, in response to the Haiti earthquakes of 2010. His work on the island was covered in the 2020 Discovery+ documentary Citizen Penn.
