Liev Schreiber and Andriy Shevchenko visit Ukraine in international appeal

Celebrities tour sites where hundreds of dead civilians were discovered after Russian occupation

American actor and activist Liev Schreiber and former Ukrainian football star Andriy Shevchenko visited Kyiv on Monday and called for the international community to increase its donations to Ukraine.

The two also paid a visit to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his offices in Kyiv.

Appearing outside a residential area near Kyiv that has suffered extensive damage from Russian bombardment, the Isle of Dogs and Ray Donovan star toured the neighbourhood of Borodyanka.

Former Ukraine footballer Andriy Shevchenko and American actor Liev Schreiber stand surrounded by destroyed buildings in Borodianka, near Kyiv. AP

Andriy Shevchenko exchanges fist bumps with Liev Schreiber. AP

The pair survey residential buildings which have been destroyed by Russia bombardment. AP

Schreiber and Shevchenko are both ambassadors of the UNITED24 fundraising platform. AFP

Schreiber visits the town of Borodianka. Reuters

Schreiber has Ukrainian heritage. Reuters

Shevchenko and Schreiber are just a few of the celebrities to visit the war-torn country. Reuters

This is Schreiber's second visit to Ukraine. AFP

Schreiber poses for a selfie with a fan. AFP

“People see it as a one-time thing. But as you can see, people live with it every day,” Schreiber said.

It is his second visit to the war-torn country. In May, the actor, who has Ukrainian roots, met people in bomb shelters and co-founded BlueCheck Ukraine, which vets and expedites financial support to charities.

“Then the president asked if I could help with his initiative, United24, in the position of medical aid and also to really help get the word out, because the reality is that raising money right now is very, very difficult,” Schreiber said.

The two surveyed a damaged apartment tower block in Borodyanka, 50 kilometres north of Kyiv.

Borodyanka is in the Bucha area, where hundreds of dead civilians were discovered after the Russian occupation. Ukrainian authorities said 16,000 residential buildings were damaged in the area.

“You can see these people are living with it every day. So it has to be, there has to be some kind of incentive to get them to give more and to get them to give consistently,” Schreiber said.

A Ukrainian soldier inspects a burnt Russian tank in Dmytrivka, Kyiv region. Getty Images

Ukrainians who fled to Mexico amid Russia's invasion of their homeland arrive at a shelter near the US border, in Tijuana, Mexico. Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from Kyiv. AP

A woman hugs a Ukrainian soldier after a convoy of military and aid vehicles arrived in the formerly Russian-occupied Kyiv suburb of Bucha. AP

Shrapnel marks are seen on the statue of a child after shelling that hit the Gorky amusement park, in Kharkiv. Reuters

A Ukrainian soldier walks next to a military vehicle, outside Kyiv. AP

A man distributes toilet paper rolls as people wait for medicine and sanitary supply handouts in the formerly Russian-occupied Kyiv suburb of Bucha, Ukraine. AP

A woman cooks on an open fire outside an apartment building, in Bucha. AP

A Ukrainian soldier check streets for booby traps after Russian troops withdrew from Bucha. AP

Graves of residents who died during the Russian invasion, in front of residential buildings in the areas recaptured by the Ukrainian army, in Kyiv. EPA

Destroyed Russian military vehicles on a street in Kyiv. EPA

A Ukrainian soldier walks by the wreckage of the Antonov An-225 Mriya aircraft , the world's largest cargo airplane and relic of the Soviet space programme, which was destroyed during fighting in Hostomel, Ukraine. AP

Ukrainian soldiers shout patriotic slogans with the Antonov An-225 in the background. AP

Yulia Dyrda, who sustained arm injuries from Russian shelling, recovers at a hospital in Chuhuiv, Ukraine. Getty Images

Residents stand next to a stuck Russian tank, in Nova Basan. Reuters

The mother of Lt Oliynyk Dmytro, 40, mourns his death during his funeral ceremony, after the soldier was killed in action, in Lviv, western Ukraine. AP

Ukrainian refugees rest in the ticket hall at Przemysl Glowny train station, Poland. Reuters

A dog walks past the wreckage of a Russian armored personnel carrier, in Dmytrivka, Kyiv region. Getty Images

Ukrainians ride bicycles past destroyed cars in the town of Bucha, north-west of the capital Kyiv. Reuters

Buildings damaged by shelling in the town of Makariv, in Kyiv region. Reuters

A woman carries her dog during an evacuation in the town of Irpin outside Kyiv. Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gives a video update in which he said the situation in east of the country remained extremely difficult. Reuters

The Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, England, illuminated in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. Reuters

Russian soldiers destroyed this bridge as they withdrew from a village on the outskirts of Kyiv. AP Photo

A child wrapped in a rescue emergency blanket crosses the border into Medyka, south-eastern Poland. AP Photo

Flowers lay on a Ukrainian armoured vehicle destroyed during fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces on the outskirts of Kyiv. AP Photo

Damaged houses and a burnt-out Russian armoured vehicle on the outskirts of Kyiv. AFP

Ukrainian soldier Dasha, 22, checks her phone after a military sweep to search for Russian troops after their withdrawal from villages in the outskirts of Kyiv. AP Photo

Ammunition scattered on the ground next to a Ukrainian armoured car destroyed in fighting outside Kyiv. AP Photo

A number of Hollywood stars have visited Ukraine during the war, including Angelina Jolie, Sean Penn and Ben Stiller, and most recently Oscar-winning actress Jessica Chastain.

Others have helped from afar, such as Hollywood couple Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, who created a GoFundMe that raised almost $37 million for refugees this year.

Kunis was born in Ukraine and moved to the US when she was 7.

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch hosted a refugee family in his home, while Leonardo DiCaprio donated $10m.

Celebrities in Ukraine — in pictures

US Actress and UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie comforts a young victim of the Kramatorsk railway station missile strike in Lviv children's hospital, in Western Ukraine on April 30, 2022. EPA

This handout picture taken on August 7, 2022 shows the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, posing with US actress Jessica Chastain before a meeting in Kyiv. AFP PHOTO / Ukrainian Presidential press-service

Jolie interacts with a child at the main railway station during her visit to Lviv. Reuters

Zelenskyy, right, and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Ben Stiller shake hands during their meeting in Kyiv on June 20, 2022. Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP

Stiller walks past a damaged building as he visits the Lypki neighbourhood in Irpin, Ukraine. Reuters

US President Joe Biden, right, stands with Spanish chef Jose Andres, founder of nonprofit organisation World Food Kitchen (WCK), after meeting refugees of Russia's war with Ukraine at PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw, Poland on March 26, 2022. AFP

Jose Andres is seen on a screen giving a pre-recorded acceptance speech for receiving The Sophia Award for Excellence 2022 from Ukraine, while he works there to feed those affected by the war on March 31, 2022. EPA

US actor and director Liev Schreiber prepares meals in the kitchen of the World Central Kitchen, for war refugees from Ukraine staying in Przemysl, Poland on April 15, 2022. EPA

Sean Penn attends a press briefing at the Presidential Office in Kyiv, Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Reuters

Zelenskyy, centre, talking with Sean Penn, right, next to President's office head Andriy Yermak during their meeting in Kyiv on June 28, 2022. AFP PHOTO / Ukraine's presidential press-service