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Update May 10, 2024

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Ukraine Travel Advisory

Travel advisory may 22, 2023, ukraine - level 4: do not travel.

Do not travel to Ukraine due to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The Department of State continues to advise that U.S. citizens not travel to Ukraine due to active armed conflict. Read the entire Travel Advisory.

All U.S. citizens should carefully monitor U.S. government notices and local and international media outlets for information about changing security conditions and alerts to shelter in place. Those choosing to remain in Ukraine should exercise caution due to the potential for military attacks, crime, civil unrest, and consult the Department’s latest security alerts.

The security situation in Ukraine remains unpredictable. U.S. citizens in Ukraine should stay vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. Know the location of your closest shelter or protected space. In the event of mortar, missile, drone, or rocket fire, follow instructions from local authorities and seek shelter immediately. If you feel your current location is no longer safe, you should carefully assess the potential risks involved in moving to a different location.

There are continued reports of Russian forces and their proxies singling out U.S. citizens in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine for detention, interrogation, or harassment because of their nationality. U.S. citizens have also been singled out when evacuating by land through Russia-occupied territory or to Russia or Belarus.

U.S. citizens seeking emergency assistance should email [email protected] for assistance. Please review what the U.S. government can and cannot do to assist you in a crisis overseas . U.S. citizens may also seek consular services, including requests for repatriation loans, passports, and visa services, at U.S. embassies and consulates in neighboring countries .

On February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian government declared a state of emergency. Each province (oblast) decides on measures to be implemented according to local conditions. Measures could include curfews, restrictions on the freedom of movement, ID verification, and increased security inspections, among other measures. Follow any oblast-specific state of emergency measures.

Many in the international community, including the United States and Ukraine, do not recognize Russia’s purported annexation of Crimea in 2014, nor the September 2022 purported annexation of four other Ukrainian oblasts -- Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. There is extensive Russian Federation military presence in these areas. There are also abuses against foreigners and the local population by the occupation authorities in these regions, particularly against those who are seen as challenging Russia’s occupation.

Although Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine severely restricts the Embassy’s access and ability to provide services in these areas, the Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv continue to remotely provide certain emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Crimea as well as four other Ukrainian oblasts partially occupied by Russia – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia – to the extent possible given security conditions.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) prohibiting U.S. aviation operations into, out of, within, or over Ukraine. For more information, U.S. citizens should consult the FAA’s Prohibitions, Restrictions, and Notices .

Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Ukraine.

Travel to High-Risk Areas

If you choose to disregard the Travel Advisory and travel to Ukraine, you should consider taking the following steps:

• Visit our website on Travel to High-Risk areas .
• Draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney.
• Discuss a plan with loved ones regarding care/custody of children, pets, property, belongings, non-liquid assets (collections, artwork, etc.), funeral wishes, etc.
• Share important documents, login information, and points of contact with loved ones so that they can manage your affairs if you are unable to return as planned to the United States.
• Leave DNA samples with your medical provider in case it is necessary for your family to access them.
• Establish your own personal security plan in coordination with your employer or host organization or consider consulting with a professional security organization.
• Develop a communication plan with family and/or your employer or host organization so that they can monitor your safety and location as you travel through high-risk areas. This plan should specify who you would contact first and how they should share the information.
• Enroll your trip in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter .
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist .

If you are currently in Ukraine:

• Read the Department’s country information page on Ukraine.
• Familiarize yourself with information on what the U.S. government can and cannot do to assist you in a crisis overseas .
• Have a contingency plan in place that does not rely on U.S. government assistance.
• Monitor local media for breaking events and adjust your contingency plans based on the new information.
• Avoid demonstrations and crowds.
• Ensure travel documents are valid and easily accessible.
• Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Notices related to your travel.
• Get a COVID vaccine to facilitate your travel.
• Understand the COVID testing and vaccine requirements for all countries that you will transit through to your destination.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Review the Country Security Report for Ukraine.
• Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
• Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk areas .

Travel Advisory Levels

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Big, diverse and largely undiscovered, Ukraine is one of Europe’s last genuine travel frontiers, a nation rich in colourful tradition, warm-hearted people and off-the-map experiences.

Attractions

Must-see attractions.

St Sophia's Cathedral

The interior is the most astounding aspect of Kyiv's oldest standing church. Many of the mosaics and frescoes are original, dating back to 1017–31, when…

Kyevo-Pecherska Lavra

Tourists and Orthodox pilgrims alike flock to the Lavra, set on 28 hectares of grassy hills above the Dnipro River in Pechersk. It's easy to see why…

Kamyanets-Podilsky Fortress

Central Ukraine

Built of wood in the 10th to 13th centuries, then redesigned and rebuilt in stone by Italian military engineers in the 16th century, K-P's fortress is a…

Prymorsky Boulevard

Odesa's elegant facade, this tree-lined, clifftop promenade was designed to enchant the passengers of arriving boats with the neoclassical opulence of its…

Between May 1942 and July 1943, Adolf Hitler paid several visits (accounts vary) to his regional military headquarters in a vast bunker 8km north…

Chernivtsi University

The Carpathians

University buildings are often called 'dreaming spires', but Chernivtsi's is more like an acid trip. This fantastic, Unesco-listed red-brick ensemble,…

Lychakivsky Cemetery

Don't leave town until you've seen this amazing 42-hectare cemetery, only a short ride on tram 7 from the centre. This is the Père Lachaise of Eastern…

Palanok Castle

Built atop a 68m-tall volcano, Mukacheve's highlight is this dramatic castle that pops up from the surrounding plain west of town, like something in a…

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Ukraine and beyond

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• Foreign travel advice

Warnings and insurance

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office ( FCDO ) provides advice about risks of travel to help British nationals make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice .

Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against FCDO advice. Consular support is also severely limited where FCDO advises against travel.

FCDO  advises against all but essential travel to the western regions of:

• Zakarpattia
• Ivano-Frankivsk

FCDO  advises against all travel to

• within 50km of the borders of Volyn, Rivne and Zhytomyr with Belarus, due to the ongoing presence of Russian and Belarusian military and security personnel on the Belarusian side of the border
• the rest of Ukraine

Russian invasion of Ukraine

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is ongoing, with missile and drone attacks across the country. Russian missile and drone strikes have caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure, including residential areas, energy and industrial facilities, injuring and killing civilians.  Ukraine’s airspace remains closed.

There is an ongoing risk of harm to British nationals from Russian attacks across all of Ukraine, including from missiles and drones that hit unintended targets or from falling debris. Whilst these are more frequent where FCDO advises against all travel, they could also happen in the western regions, where FCDO advice is against all but essential travel.

In the event of attacks, follow the advice of the local authorities, including responding to air raid sirens.

The situation in Ukraine can change quickly. Local rules and measures may change at short notice or with no notification. FCDO cannot confirm that all information here reflects the latest situation in Ukraine.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Explosions continue to be reported near the area of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant indicating ongoing military activity. There have been no reports of any radiation release.

Leaving Ukraine

Expect increased documentation checks, transport restrictions and increased security measures. Other measures could include additional border controls, restrictions on public events, curfews, restrictions on telephones, internet and broadcasting, and evacuations of certain areas.

If you are a dual British-Ukrainian national or you have the right to reside in the UK, and want to leave Ukraine, contact the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine on [email protected] for advice.

Ukrainian national and dual-national males aged 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving the country.

The authorities in the countries bordering Ukraine set and enforce their entry rules. Before you travel, check the foreign travel advice for any countries you plan to travel through. If you need consular assistance, contact the British Embassy in that country (contact details can be found in the relevant foreign travel advice page).

Assisted departure or evacuation

The British Embassy in Kyiv is unable to provide in-person consular assistance.

FCDO cannot facilitate your departure from Ukraine or evacuation. If you are in Ukraine against FCDO advice, or require support to leave Ukraine, take advice from a private security company and take appropriate security measures.

FCDO cannot endorse or recommend any private security companies. Research whether a service provider will be suitable for your requirements and meets code of conduct and safety standards. The Security in Complex Environments Group (SCEG) has several companies listed on their website. These companies have accredited certification for international standards.

FCDO has not completed due diligence checks on these companies. FCDO does not accept any liability arising to any person for any loss or damage suffered through using these service providers or this information. FCDO is not able to provide financial assistance for employing private security or medical evacuation companies.

Visas for the UK

If you are a family member of a British national normally living in Ukraine and intend to apply for a visa under the Ukrainian Family Scheme, read the guidance on visas for family members of British nationals normally living in Ukraine . Call +44 (0)808 164 8810 (select option 1) for assistance before applying.

Under this scheme, which is free, those joining family in the UK can stay in the UK for up to 3 years. They will be able to study, work and access public funds.

Foreign fighters

If you travel to Ukraine to fight, or to assist others engaged in the war, your activities may amount to offences under UK legislation.  You could be prosecuted on your return to the UK.

British nationals fighting in Ukraine have been killed or captured. British nationals undertaking humanitarian work have also been detained by Russian authorities. The risk to life, or of mistreatment, is high.

Our ability to provide consular support in these circumstances is very limited.

Supporting Ukraine

There are many ways to support Ukraine from the UK. For further information, see Ukraine: what you can do to help .

Related content

Invasion of ukraine.

• UK visa support for Ukrainian nationals
• Move to the UK if you're coming from Ukraine
• Homes for Ukraine: record your interest
• Find out about the UK’s response

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Watch CBS News

Americans travel to Ukraine to help Ukrainians defend against Russia

Behind the scenes of US President Joe Biden's visit to see Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv

US President Joe Biden's motorcade slipped out of the White House about 3:30am on Sunday in Washington DC. 

There was no big, flashy Air Force One for this trip — the president vanished into the darkness on an Air Force C-32, which is a modified Boeing 757 normally used for domestic trips.

Twenty hours later, he was in downtown Kyiv.

Mr Biden's surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital  on Monday was the first time in modern history that a US leader has visited a war zone outside the shield of the US military. 

It is a feat the White House said carried some risk, even though Moscow was given a heads-up about Mr Biden's visit.

Over the next five hours, the president made multiple stops around town — ferried about in a black SUV rather than the presidential limousine — without any announcement to the Ukrainian public that he was there.

But all that activity attracted enough attention that word of his presence leaked out well before he could get back to Poland, which was the original plan.

Aides at the White House were surprised the secret held as long as it did.

'Risky undertaking' turned into 'manageable risk'

The president had been itching since last year to join the parade of other Western officials who have visited Kyiv to pledge support standing shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the capital.

Mr Biden's planned trip to Warsaw, Poland, and the Presidents' Day holiday provided an opening to tack on a stop in Kyiv.

A small group of senior officials at the White House and across US national security agencies set about working in secret for months to make it happen, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday.

Mr Biden gave the final sign-off on Friday.

Mr Sullivan said the trip "required a security, operational, and logistical effort from professionals across the US government to take what was an inherently risky undertaking and make it a manageable risk". 

Once Mr Biden was aboard the Air Force jet, the call sign "SAM060," for Special Air Mission, was used for the plane. 

It took off from Joint Base Andrews at 4:15am local time.

After a refuelling stop in Germany, Mr Biden's aircraft switched off its transponder for the roughly hour-long flight to Rzeszow, Poland.

He arrived in Kyiv via train at 8am on Monday (local time), was greeted by Ambassador Bridget Brink, and entered his motorcade for the drive to Mariinsky Palace.

While he was on the ground in Ukraine, flights transporting military equipment and other goods were continuing unabated to Rzeszow from Western cities.

Meanwhile, in Kyiv, many main streets and central blocks were cordoned off without explanation.

People started sharing videos of long motorcades of cars speeding along streets where access was restricted — the first clues that Mr Biden had arrived.

Mr Biden travelled with a far smaller-than-usual retinue: Sullivan, deputy chief of staff Jen O'Malley Dillon, and the director of Oval Office operations, Annie Tomasini.

They were joined by his Secret Service detail, the military aide carrying the so-called "nuclear football" (a briefcase, the contents of which Mr Biden can use to authorise a nuclear attack), a small medical team and the official White House photographer.

Only two journalists were on board instead of the usual complement of 13.

Their electronic devices were powered off and turned over to the White House for the duration of the trip into Ukraine.

A small number of journalists based in Ukraine were summoned to a downtown hotel on Monday morning to join them, not informed that Mr Biden was visiting until shortly before his arrival.

Even with Western surface-to-air missile systems bolstering Ukraine's defences, it was rare for a US leader to travel to a conflict zone where the US or its allies did not have control over the airspace.

The US military does not have a presence in Ukraine other than a small detachment of Marines guarding the embassy in Kyiv, making Mr Biden's visit more complicated than visits by prior US leaders to war zones.

"We did notify the Russians that President Biden will be travelling to Kyiv," Mr Sullivan told reporters.

"We did so some hours before his departure for deconfliction purposes."

He declined to specify the exact message or to whom it was delivered but said the heads-up was to avoid any miscalculation that could bring the two nuclear-armed nations into direct conflict.

Ukranians take selfies as Biden visits  

While Mr Biden was in Kyiv, US surveillance planes, including an E-3 Sentry airborne radar and an electronic RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft, were keeping watch over Kyiv from Polish airspace.

The sealing off of Kyiv roads that are usually humming with traffic brought an eerie calm to the centre of the capital.

It was so quiet that crows could be heard cawing as Mr Biden and Mr Zelenskyy walked from their motorcade to the gold-domed St Michael's Cathedral under skies as blue as the outer walls of the cathedral itself.

"Let's walk in and take a look," Mr Biden said.

They disappeared inside as heavily armed soldiers stood guard outside.

Cathedral bells chirped at the stroke of 11:30am followed shortly by air raid alarms, at 11:34 am, just before the men re-emerged.

The sirens were first a distant howl rising over the city, followed seconds later by alarms from mobile phone apps wailing from people's pockets.

Those alarms are voiced by Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, and his Luke Skywalker voice urged people to take cover, warning: "Don't be careless. Your overconfidence is your weakness."

The two leaders walked at a measured pace with no outward signs of concern through the cathedral's arched front gate onto the square in front, where the rusting hulks of destroyed Russian tanks and other armoured vehicles have been stationed as grim reminders of the war.

When the square isn't blocked off, as it was during the leaders' visit, people come to look at the vehicles, many taking selfies.

Mr Biden and Mr Zelenskyy followed behind honour guards carrying two wreaths to the wall of remembrance honouring Ukrainian soldiers killed since 2014, the year Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and Russian-backed fighting erupted in eastern Ukraine.

It was only then that the first images of Mr Biden in the capital popped up on Ukrainian social media and the secret visit became global news.

"He is like an example of a president who is not afraid to show up in Ukraine and to support us," Kyiv resident Myroslava Renova said.  

The all-clear notice, also voiced by Hamill, sounded at 1:07pm, long after Mr Biden had headed to the US Embassy for a brief stop before departing the country.

"The air alert is over," Hamill said.

"May the force be with you."

• X (formerly Twitter)

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Ukraine war latest updates: Sky News reports from town under attack - as 'fierce fighting' rages in Kharkiv

Fighting is ongoing in Kharkiv, Ukraine's governor for the region has said - as Russia claims it has taken control of multiple villages. It follows a surprise offensive by Putin's military on Friday morning.

Saturday 11 May 2024 13:16, UK

• Civilians being evacuated in Vovchansk, in Kharkiv, after Friday morning's surprise attack by Putin's military 
• Sky's Deborah Haynes witnesses terror in attacked town as evacuations under way
• Analysis:  Russia's attack in Kharkiv region not a complete surprise - but the force of it is
• Russia says it downed Ukrainian rockets and drones overnight
• Ed Conway :  Russian oil still seeping into UK - the reasons why sanctions are not working
• Live reporting by Jake Levison

More now from Kharkiv's governor, who says 2,500 people have now been evacuated from the danger zone in Kharkiv, up from 1,775 this morning.

Oleh Syniehubov says regional authorities are continuing to get civilians out of the areas where fighting continues. 

And while Russia's defence ministry said earlier its forces had taken five border villages in the Kharkiv region, Mr Syniehubov says clashes are still ongoing in all five of the villages.

"As of now the enemy keeps pressing in the north of our region. Our forces have repelled nine attacks," he said in his media briefing.

Top Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said they do not believe Russia has the capacity to launch a successful operation to capture the city of Kharkiv, home to 1.3 million people.

But analysts have suggested Mr Putin's end goal may not be to capture the entire city, but rather to better protect the Russian border and to spread Ukraine's military more thinly.

Our security and defence editor   Deborah Haynes   is reporting to us from a residential area that was just hit by a Russian strike in Vovchansk.

She's standing by a block that's in flames and says local residents she's spoken to are scared the fire will spread to other residential blocks too.

One of the residents of the destroyed block, who had suffered injuries to her leg as a result of the explosion, spoke to Haynes.

"She doesn't know what to do - she's very confused," Haynes says. "This is a scene of chaos and terror."

She says the rest of the town is also "pretty much destroyed", adding explosions can still be heard nearby.

The Russian military is continuing its attacks in Kharkiv, the region's governor says.

Oleh Syniehubov said President Putin's troops were still trying to advance further after reportedly taking up to 1km yesterday.

The fierce fighting is raging across three villages near the Ukrainian border, he added.

His comments came shortly after Russia's defence ministry claimed its forces had taken five border villages in the Kharkiv region. 

Ukraine is yet to directly comment on Russia's claims.

The UK's Ministry of Defence has highlighted reports suggesting a Russian fighter aircraft accidentally dropped a bomb on a civilian area in Belgorod. 

The intelligence update relates to an incident on 4 May - not on the overnight drone strike in Belgorod we reported earlier. 

Here's what the ministry said: 

"It has been reported that a Russian fighter aircraft accidentally released a FAB-500 munition on a civilian area in Belgorod, Russia on 04 May 2024. 

"The Belgorod Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed the explosion and damage on Razdobarkina street, Belgorod without identifying the cause. 

"30 houses and 10 cars were damaged, with five individuals requiring hospital care, illustrating the destructive power of the munition.

"This is not an isolated incident. On 18 February a FAB-250 was reportedly released on Soloti in the Belgorod area which led to the evacuation of 150 residents. 

"Media outlets suggest that such discharges are fairly common with 20 lost munitions accidentally dropped in the Belgorod region alone between March to April 2024.

"These instances indicate Russia's continued inability to successfully employ their munitions on intended targets. Such errors have destructive and lethal consequences for the Russian population."

Russia's defence ministry says its forces have taken five border villages in Ukraine's Kharkiv region since its surprise attack began yesterday.

The ministry says Russian forces have taken the villages of Pletenivka, Ohirtseve, Borysivka, Pylna and Strilechna, all of which are directly on the border with Russia's Belgorod region.

In a briefing, it also said Russian troops have taken the village of Keramik in the eastern Donetsk region, where Moscow has made slow but steady advances in recent months.

Ukraine officials have not yet commented on the Russian defence ministry's claims. 

Our military analyst Sean Bell has been looking at Russia's brutal offensive in Kharkiv, which has led to mass evacuations.

It's been described as a surprise attack - but Bell says Ukraine has been warning over a potential attack by Russia in the region for several months.

"So it wasn't a complete surprise," he says. "But this attack by Russia wasn't just a minor thing - it was a coordinated attack.

"They were using air power, so glide bombs, artillery shells, multi-launch rocket systems and infantry."

He says the attack was clearly designed to "probe Ukrainian defences" and Russia has now made advances, with between 30,000 and 50,000 troops in the area.

Why has Russia opened up a second front in the war?

While Bell says it's a question only President Putin could answer for certain, he believes there are two likely reasons for Russia's latest attack.

First, the Russian border town of Belgorod is a logistics hub for Russian military activity, and is regularly targeted by artillery from Ukrainian territory.

As you'll see from our previous post, Russia said Ukraine targeted Belgorod just last night, killing one man and injuring another in a drone attack.

President Putin has long promised to create a buffer zone to push Ukrainian forces out of artillery range, which would limit the attacks on this frontier town, Bell says.

Secondly, although most analysts believe Russia would struggle to seize Kharkiv, the attack does force Ukraine to spread its limited resources across a broader front, leaving it more vulnerable to further attacks, he adds.

Earlier this morning we told you Russia said it downed 21 Ukrainian rockets and 16 drones overnight across its Belgorod, Kursk and Volgograd regions.

The governor of Russia's Belgorod region now says one man was killed and another injured after a Ukrainian drone hit a parked truck on the border village of Novostroyevka-Pervaya.

The Belgorod region borders Ukraine's Kharkiv region and has come under regular attack since the war began.

Kharkiv's regional governor has provided an update on Telegram this morning, where he's outlined how many civilians have fled their homes since Russia's attack yesterday.

Ukraine's second-largest city has seen a total of 1,775 people evacuate, Oleg Sinegubov said.

1,048 of those were from the Chuhuiv district, where Vovchansk is located. As we said earlier, Vovchansk has a population of around 3,000.

He said another 440 people were evacuated from the Kharkiv district, which encircles the city of Kharkiv, and 12 from Bohodukhiv district, located northwest of Kharkiv.

He added another 275 people were evacuated by volunteers across the region.

By Deborah Haynes , security and defence editor

Smoke hung in the air on the road into the border town of Vovchansk in northeastern Ukraine after a surprise Russian offensive.

Woodland that frames the route had caught fire amid the heavy bombardments.

Sky News followed a rescue team as they raced into Vovchansk in a white van to help evacuate residents amid fears of a wider assault by Moscow.

The streets in the part of the town we entered were largely deserted.

We pulled into a residential road of bungalows.

Part the way down there was a group of five elderly residents, gathered around a bench. They did not appear to be in a hurry to flee, despite the danger and warnings from the authorities for the town's around 3,000 residents to leave.

Read more here ...

Moving away from the Russian offensive in Kharkiv for a moment.

Russia's defence ministry says it has repelled a string of Ukrainian attacks on its territory, using drones and rocket artillery.

In a statement posted on Telegram, the ministry said its forces had downed 21 rockets and 16 drones across Russia's Belgorod, Kursk and Volgograd regions.

Ukraine is yet to comment on the reported attack.

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Drone footage shows Ukrainian village battered to ruins as residents flee Russian advance

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The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by the Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Russian troops have been advancing in the area, pounding Kyiv’s depleted, ammunition-deprived forces with artillery, drones and bombs. Ukraine ’s military has acknowledged the Russians have gained a “foothold” in Ocheretyne, which had a population of about 3,000 before the war, but says that fighting continues.

Residents have scrambled to flee the village, among them a 98-year-old woman who walked almost six miles alone last week, wearing a pair of slippers and supported by a cane, until she reached Ukrainian front lines.

Not a single person is seen in the footage, and no building in Ocheretyne appears to have been left untouched by the fighting. Most houses, apartment blocks and other buildings look damaged beyond repair, and many houses have been pummeled into piles of wood and bricks. A factory on the outskirts has also been badly damaged.

The footage also shows smoke billowing from several houses, and fires burning in at least two buildings.

Elsewhere, Russia has in recent weeks stepped up attacks on Kharkiv , Ukraine’s second-largest city, in an attempt to pummel the region’s energy infrastructure and terrorize its 1.3 million residents.

World & Nation

Pummeled by airstrikes, Ukrainians in Kharkiv live in defiance of Russia

Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, is facing intense Russian airstrikes, but its residents are defiant. “We can stand up, no matter what they do,” one said.

April 26, 2024

Four people were wounded and a two-story civilian building was damaged and set ablaze overnight after Russian forces struck Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, with exploding drones, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said Saturday.

The four, including a 13-year-old, were hurt by falling debris, he said on the Telegram messaging app.

Russian state agency RIA reported Saturday that Moscow’s forces struck a drone warehouse in Kharkiv that had been used by Ukrainian troops overnight, citing Sergei Lebedev, described as a coordinator of local pro-Moscow guerrillas. His comments could not be independently verified.

Syniehubov said Russia also bombed Kharkiv on Friday, damaging residential buildings and sparking a fire. An 82-year-old woman died and two men were wounded.

Ukrainians contemplate the once unthinkable: Losing the war with Russia

Could Ukraine lose the war? Once nearly taboo, the question hovers in Kyiv, but Ukrainians believe they must fight for their lives against Putin’s troops.

April 17, 2024

In Ukraine, relief over U.S. aid vote — and fear over what an angry Russia will do next

Amid worsening Ukraine war outlook, an infusion of American military aid is seen as crucial in the fight against Russian invaders. Will it be enough?

April 21, 2024

Ukraine’s military said Russia launched a total of 13 Shahed drones at the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions of eastern Ukraine overnight, all of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses.

Ukraine’s energy ministry on Saturday said the overnight strikes damaged an electrical substation in the Dnipropetrovsk region, briefly depriving households and businesses of power.

According to Serhii Lysak, the province’s governor, falling drone debris damaged unspecified “critical infrastructure” and three private houses, one of which caught on fire. Two residents, a man and a woman, were rushed to hospital.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed early on Saturday that its forces overnight shot down four U.S.-provided long-range ATACMS missiles over the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The ministry did not provide further details.

Ukraine has recently begun using the missiles, provided secretly by the United States, to hit Russian-held areas, including a military airfield in Crimea and in another area east of the occupied city of Berdyansk, U.S. officials said last week.

Long sought by Ukrainian leaders, the new missiles give Ukraine nearly double the striking distance — up to 190 miles — than it had with the midrange version of the weapons it received from the U.S. last October.

A Ukrainian drone also damaged telecommunications infrastructure on the outskirts of Belgorod, a Russian city some 30 miles from the Ukrainian border, according to the local governor. Vyacheslav Gladkov did not say what the site was used for.

Lawless writes for the Associated Press.

In Ukraine’s old imperial city, pastel palaces are in jeopardy, but black humor survives

Ukraine’s port of Odesa is a key Russian target, endangering the city’s UNESCO-designated historic center and challenging citizens to keep their sense of humor.

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Couple travel to Ukraine with donated vehicle

A couple from Glastonbury, Somerset, have driven 1,318 miles (2,121km) to Ukraine to deliver a vehicle to the frontline in the war with Russia.

Ed Chalmers and Katie Hines travelled from Oxford to Lviv, Western Ukraine, in a 4x4 they dubbed 'Hilda' which will be used to evacuate injured soldiers.

Ms Hines told BBC Radio Somerset: "As soon as we arrived in the workshop in Lviv, Hilda was immediately taken by two volunteers.

"We hadn't even switched off the engine before the vehicle was emptied, kitted out and taken off for its new life on the frontline. It was amazing."

Mr Chalmers, 36, and Ms Hines, 35, travelled for three days in a convoy of several other vehicles.

The convoy was organised by Driving Ukraine - a group set up at the start of the war to deliver vehicles to the country.

Mr Chalmers said: "We drove through France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Poland before spending two hours at the border with Ukraine sorting paperwork."

Ms Hines added: "Hilda did really well. We had no problems mechanically but a couple of the other vehicles had problems. A few hot radiators."

Mr Chalmers said: "We had lots of support when we were driving along.

"We met people from Norway, America and Belgium - all going in the same direction trying to provide as much aid as possible."

Ms Hines added: "We bumped into people at services and shared stories and made connections in order to work out how best to help.

"We also had a lot of honking horns and flashing lights, so it's given us a real boost."

Mr Chalmers and Ms Hines will use a mixture of public transport to get back home to Somerset.

A fundraising page has also been set up for the journey which has, so far, raised more than £5,000.

Mr Chalmers said: "The money will pay for the petrol, the paperwork to get to Ukraine and modifications to the vehicle, such as new tyres and paint."

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Drone footage shows Ukraine's 'Harry Potter castle’ in flames after Russian missile attack - video

Firefighters in the Ukrainian southern port city of Odesa battled a blaze in a private law academy after a Russian attack. The missile strike killed at least four people and injured 32 others after residential buildings and 'civil infrastructure' were hit. The law academy was in a Gothic-style building on the seafront and was known as the Harry Potter castle. Drone footage released by the Ukrainian armed forces show the building in flames.

On the frontline, Ukrainian officials say Russia is assembling forces for a huge summer offensive, despite its troops making only incremental gains in recent months. The Nato chief, Jens Stoltenberg, says countries have failed to deliver military aid to Ukraine in time, benefiting Russia on the frontline

Ukraine war briefing: Russia making gains from slow western aid, says Nato chief

Debris from North Korean missile found in Kharkiv, say UN sanctions monitors

Source: Reuters

Tue 30 Apr 2024 08.19 BST Last modified on Tue 30 Apr 2024 14.32 BST

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‘Don’t want to fight’: Ukrainians abroad slam plan to deny embassy services

Short on soldiers to fight Russia, Kyiv says it will suspend consular access to military-age men outside Ukraine.

Names marked with an asterisk have been changed to protect identities.

Warsaw, Poland –  When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Kyrylo, an IT specialist in Poland, rushed to evacuate his parents from Kyiv. Since then, he has been the family’s main breadwinner.

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To support Ukraine from across the border, he makes donations and buys Starlink satellite-internet kits in Europe for volunteers back in his homeland. Although he is guilt-stricken living abroad, he feels joining the army would not help the war effort.

“If the army could guarantee that my work would be aligned with my skills and knowledge, I would go back. I could help with drones and other technology. But getting a rifle and shooting would not be the most efficient way of utilising my skills,” said the 35-year-old, who requested to withhold his last name.

He has lived abroad since 2015, long before Russia’s war began. During that time, he also became a father; his daughter is now six.

Last month, Ukraine decided to suspend consular services for military-age Ukrainian men in a bid to boost its struggling army. Those who left before and after the war began will be affected by the move.

According to the new law , from May 18, men aged between 18 and 60 living abroad will not be able to access key services unless they update their data in their local conscription centres in Ukraine.

For most of these men, getting a new passport, marriage certificate or driver’s licence would ultimately mean abandoning their adopted country for the foreseeable future, as those eligible for military service cannot leave wartime Ukraine.

Anton*, 19, left Ukraine after the war began. He lives in Poland with his 41-year-old father and 18-year-old brother. If they stayed in Ukraine, all three would likely be sent to fight.

“I support individual battalions in Ukraine with donations every month – this is my duty,” said Anton, who works as a waiter.

“But I don’t want to fight, as I don’t trust our government. They don’t care about people. And they don’t care if there’s a war going on, they’re corrupt and keep stealing the money that we pay for the army. Why go to war for a state who only wants to steal?” he said bitterly.

The exceptions include men with disabilities, fathers of three or more children under the age of 18, and single fathers – conditions which do not apply to most of the tens of thousands of Ukrainian men who have been living abroad since the beginning of the war.

According to Eurostat data, approximately 650,000 refugee men of conscription age have been living in the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, or Lichtenstein since the beginning of the invasion. It is unclear how many of them left Ukraine legally and how many paid bribes. This number does not include men who left before the war.

A BBC investigation late last year reported that 20,000 men had dodged the draft by fleeing “illegally” into neighbouring countries.

‘I don’t want to fight, I don’t trust our government’

Since the law was announced, crowds of Ukrainian men have rushed to collect their documents at Ukrainian consulates across Poland before the deadline.

There were frantic scenes at a Warsaw consulate last month when consular staff said no papers would be handed out that day. Citing an unspecified system error, it was impossible to produce passports, they said.

In footage of the incident that has circulated online, a mother of a 16-year-old was filmed losing her temper.

“Give us the documents back and go to Ukraine to fight yourself,” she is seen telling a female consulate employee, raising her voice in despair. “I paid for the passport, give me my son’s document or return the money.”

As the fight against Russian forces rages on for a third year, tensions between the government in Kyiv and the Ukrainian diaspora have risen.

In a new bill on mobilisation , Ukraine had planned measures allowing men who had served for 36 months to return from the front. But the idea failed  as Ukraine suffers manpower shortages, angering tired troops.

“How it looks like now: a man of conscription age went abroad, showed his state that he does not care about its survival, and then comes and wants to receive services from this state. It does not work this way. Our country is at war,” Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, wrote on X, promising the new rules will be “fair”.

Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland’s defence minister, welcomed Kyiv’s move, suggesting some were suspicious of Ukrainian men in Poland.

“I know what raises questions and sometimes even frustration among Poles,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said. “This is a situation when they see young Ukrainians of military age in shopping malls or hotels, at a time when there is an urgent need for new recruits to join the Ukrainian army.”

While Ukraine’s need to supply the army with new soldiers may be justified, Ukrainians living abroad say they were not consulted.

“The diaspora for years has felt disregarded and even treated with contempt by the Ukrainian authorities. All their efforts to support Ukraine in the war against Russia, [including] fundraisers, have gone almost unnoticed,” said Olena Babakova, a Poland-based Ukrainian migration expert and lecturer at Vistula University.

“Now, the decision has been communicated chaotically and post factum. [It is] as if the Ukrainian government did it viciously on purpose to show the diaspora that their fate can turn, too.”

She said that there are no mechanisms that would allow Poland and other European countries to return Ukrainian men avoiding conscription. Since they are legally considered refugees fleeing war, it is also unlikely that such a measure would be developed in future, she said.

‘Ukrainian society is tired’

The new rules for obtaining documents are unlikely to bring Ukrainian men home, but could make their lives in Europe more difficult. They may also widen the gap between those who stayed in Ukraine and those who left.

“Ukrainian society is tired and there is a growing expectation that different groups will share the burden of war,” said Babakova. “People search for justice. And Ukrainians abroad have become the object of this search to pay the price.”

Some in Kyiv also rejected the government’s decision.

“These imbeciles are doing everything they can so that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians will not return home,” said Lyudmila, who lives in the Ukrainian capital. Her 24-year-old son, Andrii, is a university student in Germany who is now technically considered a draft dodger.

She withheld their last names fearing ostracism.

Andrii is about to graduate and will be eligible for military service.

In 2016, when he had an obligatory medical evaluation at high school. he was considered “fit for military service with limitations”.

He now has to undergo a new medical evaluation only in Ukraine, but his mother is afraid authorities would not allow him to return to Germany.

“They made sure my child is never coming back. We’ll only see him in Europe,” she said.

With additional reporting by Mansur Mirovalev , in Kyiv.