During a humanitarian mission in Ukraine, a dramatic turn of events unfolded for Angelina Jolie’s guide when he was unexpectedly ordered to report for military conscription. The Hollywood actress, aged 50, was in the midst of her visit to the conflict-ridden region, accompanied by her escort, 33-year-old Dmytro Pyshchikov.
As they traveled through Pivdennoukrainsk in southern Ukraine on November 5, their journey was interrupted by a routine stop at a checkpoint. It was there that authorities scrutinized Pyshchikov’s documents and discovered he lacked any valid exemption from mandatory military service.
Despite his assertions of accompanying a high-profile individual, Pyshchikov was nevertheless compelled to report to the local Territorial Recruitment Centre (TRC). This center plays a crucial role in enlisting individuals to join the fight against Russian forces in Ukraine.
The sudden change in circumstances left Pyshchikov’s loved ones in distress, unable to reach him. His girlfriend, Yulia Lotytska, shared with local media her unsuccessful attempts to contact him. “He called me on November 5,” she recounted. “I had messaged him multiple times before, but received no reply. When I finally decided to call, his phone was off. Later, he called back to inform me he was in the Mykolaiv region, specifically in Voznesensk at the TRC, explaining that he had been detained while traveling with the motorcade.”
His loved ones say they now cannot contact him. Pyshchikov’s girlfriend Yulia Lotytska told local media: ‘He called me [on November 5]. I texted him several times before that, he didn’t answer.
‘Then I decided to call, his phone was turned off. And he called after a while, told me that he was in the Mykolaiv region, in Voznesensk, at the [TRC]. That he had been detained, he was moving with the motorcade’.
His brother Yevhen Pyshchikov said Dmytro was given permission to defer from military service this year, on account of his bad back: ‘He had all the documents and a volunteer certificate with him. He is suitable for service in the [TRC] and rear support units.’
Ukrainian ground forces confirmed the incident, writing in a statement: ‘The citizen, as a driver, was part of the group that accompanied the foreign actress Angelina Jolie.
Angelina Jolie (L) meets with medical staff and volunteers at an undisclosed location during her visit to Kherson and Mykolaiv
Angelina Jolie’s guide was dramatically ordered to register at a war conscription office during her visit to frontline regions of Ukraine
The Hollywood star was being escorted by Dmytro Pyshchikov (pictured) when they were stopped at a checkpoint in Pivdennoukrainsk
‘At the time of clarifying all circumstances, this group was nearby.
‘When all circumstances were clarified, the famous actress continued on her planned route.
‘Neither she nor her representatives influenced the work of military personnel and civil servants of the TRC and the Recruitment Centre, as some posts on the Internet try to suggest.’
The regional military recruitment offiсe in Mykolaiv confirmed Jolie’s driver was a military reservist and was ordered to come to military retraining.
It was not immediately clear if the driver had been allowed to continue working with her.
The Daily Mail has contacted Jolie’s representatives for comment.
Jolie was in Ukraine as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador on her second visit of the war.
She was earlier seen visiting children living in the frontline region which is subjected to daily strikes by Putin’s forces.
Angelina Jolie smiles as children play, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kherson on November 6 2025
Ukraine is seeking to crackdown on citizens who try and evade the military call-up.
Last week, it was revealed that almost 100,000 fighting-age men have fled Ukraine in the last two months after President Volodymyr Zelensky relaxed the rules to allow young men to leave the country.
Poland’s border guard said 99,000 Ukrainian men aged 18 to 22 have crossed the border since August.
The new rules mean men between the ages of 18 and 22 are no longer barred from leaving Ukraine.
Previously, men between 18 and 60 had been obliged to stay by law since the onset of the war.
The martial law was introduced to ensure the army had enough manpower to defend the country against Russia’s onslaught.
The draft age is currently 25 to 60 years old, having been reduced from 27 in April 2024.
Kyiv guards its official death toll, but estimates made by US officials range from 60,000 to 100,000 troops killed since 2022.
