Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the West for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and draws parallels with World War II in his Victory Day speech. Video / ITV News
Of all the countries we can travel to right now, Ukraine probably isn't high on anyone's wish list.
In the six months since Russia invaded, Ukraine has endured unbelievable death and destruction. To visit would be to see a city in the midst of war; people displaced, cities bombed and a constant thread of danger hanging in the air.
Yet, amidst the destruction, one organisation wants you to visit, right now.
Visit Ukraine recently launched a series of guided day tours of the "Brave Cities" resisting Russian invaders.
While countries around the world continue to discourage travel to Ukraine, the new tours urge travellers to visit and see how the country is living through the conflict.
"Set off on a journey to awesome Ukraine right now," reads the Visit Ukraine.Today website.
More surprising still, people seem willing to take them up on the offer. The company has already sold 150 tickets for the new tour and the website receives 1.5 million visits per month, the BBC reported.
This is up 50 per cent compared with before Russia's invasion.
A post from Visit Ukraine's Facebook page about their organised tours. Photo / Facebook
Brave City Tours
The "Brave Cities" tours visit destinations like "strong and invincible Bucha and Irpin", which suffered brutal attacks early during Russia's invasion.
Taken in groups of 10 over three to four hours, tours walk through bomb sites, where cathedrals, buildings, stadiums and houses have been reduced to dusty rubble while sirens tear through the silence.
Areas still under attack or control by Russia are not included in any of the tours.
The experience seems grim but according to Visit Ukraine CEO Anton Taranenko, the tours are about much more than destruction.
"It's not only about the bombs, what's happening today in Ukraine is also about how people are learning to co-live with the war, help each other," he told CNN Travel.
The tours, according to Taranenko, give Ukraine the chance to show how strong its people are.
"Maybe across the street from where a bomb recently struck you'll see friends eating nice traditional food at a reopened bistro," he said.
"There are not just the bad and sad things as seen on TV. Life goes on and there's hope that soon all this will be over."
Countries advise travellers to stay away
On February 12, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade gave Ukraine a 'Do not travel' advisory on SafeTravel "due to the armed conflict underway".
Kiwis in Ukraine were advised to depart as soon as possible, as the government was "severely limited in its ability to provide consular assistance".
The SafeTravel page warns travellers that Ukraine's airspace is closed while land border crossings are open but significantly delayed, so travellers should have "enough food and water for at least two days".
Dozens of other countries, including the US, UK and Australia, have issued similar warnings.
Taranenko remains adamant people should "come now", adding that a visit was risky but possible and safer with a guide.
"If you venture on your own 10 metres on the left, or 10 metres on the right, you might end up on a mine or bomb," he said. But with a guide who knows the areas, knowing what direction to go is "a guarantee".
Plus, he said, many evacuated cities were well on their way to rebuilding.
"Ukraine is rising again, people are coming back to cities, municipalities are starting to rebuild, cities are recovering from the horrors and there are one million foreigners in the country. Kyiv is now the most visitable and safest place," he said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's official tourism organisation, State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine, said now was not the right time to promote visiting.
"After we win and the war is over, we will invite people to visit Ukraine," chairperson Mariana Oleskiv told CNN.
"Our official position is visit Ukraine when it will be safe to visit, maybe possible to do it next year, I hope."
Domestic tourism had restarted and was back up to 50 per cent of pre-war levels.
