Our expert answers your questions about Ukraine

As of November 2024, there are regular buses running from Donetsk to Rostov-on-Don, the price is about 14 USD. From Rostov-on-Don, there are buses running to Istanbul, the price is about 90 USD. Our advice is not to send any help to a person in Ukraine, especially in parts of Ukraine controlled by Russia (in this case, in our experience, the chance that this "person" is a scammer is close to 100%), before you are absolutely sure that this person is real.

Problems may arise if you travel by plane, so it may be worth choosing another way of travel. And as soon as you have time, be sure to get a new Ukrainian international passport to avoid any possible problems.

As of October 28, 2024, there are no direct transport links between parts of Ukraine controlled by Russia and other parts of Ukraine controlled by the Ukrainian government because it means to cross the frontline, which is not possible.

There are no checkpoints for civilians, nobody can be "bribed" as it is a very active war zone and every car close to the frontline is considered a target by both sides. There are several fake sites where, for example, "bus tickets from Donetsk to Warsaw" can be "booked", but there are no such buses in reality. The same about taxis.

People living there can go by regular buses to Russia, for example, to Rostov-on-Don. And from Russia it is possible to get to Turkey. It is not possible to return from Russia to Ukraine because the border is closed.

As we receive similar requests almost every day, our advice is not to send any help to a person in Ukraine, especially in parts of Ukraine controlled by Russia (in this case, in our experience, the chance that this "person" is a scammer is close to 100%), before you are absolutely sure that this person is real.

You can get a certificate for return to Ukraine via the embassy of Ukraine to the UK. Contact them directly to get the latest info about it.

You can think about sending a good portable charger (power bank), check this article to get some info. Before sending help to any person in Ukraine, you should be completely sure that this person is real. Otherwise, you act at your own risk, as unfortunately there are a lot of scammers, especially if it is about a person from the territory controlled by Russia (in this case, the chance that this is a scammer is close to 100%).

As of October 2024, the average monthly salary in Ukraine is in the range of about 400-500 USD per month. So I think that the sum of about 50 USD would be just right as a nice birthday gift. And of course this only applies to a person you know and have met in person, and not just communicated with online, since in this case the chance that you are talking to a scammer is very high.

This is from an official document about UK residence permits:

"You must take your permit with you if you go abroad while you have permission to stay in the United Kingdom. You may have to show the permit to an immigration officer at the border when you leave the United Kingdom.

You will have to show it along with your valid national passport before you begin your return journey, and again when you re-enter the United Kingdom. The permit proves that you are allowed to return to the United Kingdom, but it cannot be used instead of a passport." Source.

So this means that having a valid international Ukrainian passport is still required to return to the UK and additional questions about validity may arise with an extended passport. You can also try to clarify this with UK Visas and Immigration. If time allows, then of course it is better for you to get a new Ukrainian international passport and avoid all possible problems, you will have to do it in the future anyway.

Officially, travel with an extended Ukrainian international passport is possible. However, there is a certain risk, as border services are not always willing to accept extended passports, especially when traveling by plane. Therefore, it is recommended to apply for a new passport to avoid problems at the border.

Passport extensions were a temporary measure aimed at helping Ukrainians who were forced to leave the country. The situation may change. Countries may tighten entry rules for citizens with extended passports. To be completely sure, it is better to have a new document that meets all international standards.

This is a phone number of the Ukrainian mobile operator Vodafone. It does not provide its services in Donetsk, which is currently controlled by Russia. It should also be noted that in 2022, the Donetsk city code was changed from Ukrainian +38(062) to Russian +7(856). This applies to landline phone numbers.

As you know, Donetsk is controlled by Russia at the moment. This means that there are no direct transport links between this city and other parts of Ukraine controlled by the Ukrainian government because it means to cross the frontline, which is not possible.

The only regular buses available to Donetsk residents are running to Russia, for example, to Rostov-on-Don. From Rostov-on-Don, it is possible to get to Istanbul, Turkey.

As we receive similar requests almost every day, our advice is not to send any help to a person in Ukraine, especially in parts of Ukraine controlled by Russia (in this case, in our experience, the chance that this "person" is a scammer is close to 100%), before you are absolutely sure that this person is real (at least have numerous live video communication sessions, there is internet there).