VIDEO “Oscar” received by Sean Penn in Ukraine, after he missed the gala in the USA to go to Kiev
US actor Sean Penn skipped Sunday's Academy Awards to go to Ukraine, and Ukrainian state-owned railway company Ukrzaliznytsia announced on Tuesday that it had given him a symbolic version of the famous Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences statuette.
Sean Penn, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, won the Oscar for best supporting actor on Sunday for his performance in director Paul Thomas Anderson's political satire “One Battle After Another,” in which he plays a corrupt military officer. However, the actor was absent from the gala and chose to go to Ukraine.
Penn has been to Ukraine several times in the context of the war launched by Russia in February 2022, including to co-direct a documentary about President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, whom he calls a friend.
“Oscar” made from the metal of a wagon damaged in a Russian attack
Ukrzaliznytsia said she wanted to make sure the American actor got his hands on the award, one way or another, even though he traveled to Kiev, AFP wrote.
“Sean Penn came to Ukraine and missed the Academy Awards – so Ukrainian railways gave him one of their own,” the state railway group wrote in a post on the X platform.
In the posted video, the company boss presents Penn with an Oscar-shaped statuette made from a single piece of metal.
“This Oscar was made from the metal of a wagon damaged by a Russian bombardment. A symbol of resilience,” the statement also reads.
Sean Penn came to Ukraine and missed the Academy Awards — so Ukrainian railway gave him one of his own.
This Oscar was made of the metal of a railway car damaged by Russian shelling. A symbol of resilience. 🇺🇦🎬 pic.twitter.com/7h7TdA5MbS
— Ukrainian railways || Ukrzaliznytsia (@Ukrzaliznytsia) March 17, 2026
Penn, who with Sunday's gala became only the fourth actor in history to win three Oscars, presented one of the statuettes to President Zelenskiy during a visit to Ukraine in 2022.
Penn won his first Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2004 for his performance in Clint Eastwood's mystery film Mystic River. He triumphed in the same category again in 2009 for his role in “Milk”, the film that featured the life of American activist and politician Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in the state of California.
Zelensky on Penn: “A true friend of Ukraine”
The president of Ukraine, who met with Sean Penn on Monday, thanked him and described him as “a true friend of Ukraine” in a social media post accompanied by a photo of him in his office with the famous actor.
“You have been with Ukraine since the first day of this large-scale war. It is the same today. And we know that you will continue to be with our country and our people,” Zelensky said in the post, addressing the actor.
