Michael Douglas has divided his fans after announcing that he made an emotional visit to Ukraine with his son Dylan.

The 79-year-old actor shared a video on Instagram, which you can watch below, documenting their trip to the country’s capital, Kyiv – and it was nothing like Michael expected.

“Hello friends. I wanted to tell you about a little trip my son Dylan and I just took. We just got back from Kiev, Ukraine,” he began.

He explained their long journey in detail: “As you know, there is a terrible war with Russia in Ukraine, so it is a bit difficult to get to the capital, Kyiv, at the moment.”

“You have to take an 11-hour train ride from the Polish border to Kiev. What we arrived at was a magical city, really a magical city, not what I expected.”

Michael continued: “I had this vision of East Germany before the Wall came down, but what I saw was this fantastic metropolis. It normally has about three million inhabitants, but with all the refugees coming from the front, it’s more like five.”

© Getty Images

“Great architecture, a mix of Soviet and much earlier history. Fabulous culture, great restaurants and a spectacular energy.”

Michael described the “destruction” in the war-torn city in detail, adding: “Overall, the destruction was minimal. However, we saw that a children’s hospital, the largest in all of Ukraine, was completely destroyed. It was very clear that this was not a mistake.”

“Some buildings are still standing, but there is still a lot of work to be done.”

© Getty Images

Michael shared what he and 24-year-old Dylan learned from their visit: “Dylan and I experienced the people here, an incredible atmosphere.”

“When you consider what happened to Ukraine, starting with the Stalin regime, through World War II and the struggle for democracy for more than 30 years, it is an extraordinary place and a great reminder to all of us of how important freedom and democracy are and how hard we have to work for them.”

He then thanked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska and their staff for their “hospitality and help”.

© President of Ukraine

He concluded by saying: “Thank you. You are the right man at the right time and I wish you all the support you can get. The upcoming elections in this country should remind us how fragile democracy is and how we must fight against it with everything we have. Peace to you all!”

His followers were divided over his and Dylan’s visit, with one commenting: “No offense Mr Douglas, but why are you driving to another country and seeing the chaos? Why not drive to our borders, seeing the chaos and filming it?”

However, there were many others who praised Michael and Dylan for their efforts. One said: “Thank you, Michael Douglas, thank you and your son for the support you give us Ukrainians.”

© Getty Images

Another said: “The greatest respect goes to you, Michael Douglas and son Dylan, for this trip to Ukraine and for reporting on the current events and conditions in Kyiv!”

During the trip, Michael and Dylan were special guests on the “Child Safety in the Family” panel during the Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, hosted by the First Lady.