Sean Penn has claimed that he has fled Ukraine after leaving his car and walking to the Polish border.
The Oscar-winning actor was in the country filming a documentary about Russia's invasion when President Vladimir Putin launched a military operation last Thursday.
Penn reassured followers that he had managed to make it out of Ukraine in a tweet this weekend, in which he shared a photo of himself walking along the side of a road with suitcases.
"Myself & two colleagues walked miles to the Polish border after abandoning our car on the side of the road," the Milk star wrote.
In the snap, lines of heavy traffic can be seen blocking 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," Penn explained.
Last week, Variety confirmed that Penn was on the ground in Ukraine, helping produce a Vice Studios documentary about the Russian invasion.
In earlier tweets over the weekend, he condemned the actions of President Putin, saying: "Already a brutal mistake of lives taken and hearts broken, and if he doesn’t relent, I believe Mr. Putin will have made a most horrible mistake for all of humankind."
He went on to praise the Ukrainian people and their president Volodymyr Zelensky, saying: "President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have risen as historic symbols of courage and principle."
The 61-year-old actor then called on the international community to not let Ukraine "fight alone", saying: "Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost."
Prior to fleeing the country, Variety reports the Penn sat down to talk with President Zelensky, attended press briefings, met with Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, and spoke with members of the Ukrainian military.
The star is no stranger to anti-war and humanitarian projects, having worked on a number of documentaries over the years. In 2020, he released the documentary Citizen Penn, in which he joined a group of fellow actors and volunteers trying to bring aid to Haitians struggling after the 2010 earthquake.
