Britain relaxed its travel advice for part of Ukraine on Monday. The anti-aircraft defenses against Russian missiles are now said to be so strong that the western half is accessible again. London does not indicate which mode of transport the journey should be made.

After the Russian invasion in February 2022, air traffic to Ukraine came to a complete standstill. The United Kingdom and members of the European Union declared all travel to all of Ukraine unsafe and strongly advised against it.

The British are now slightly relaxing and specifically mention Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and Chernivtsi as Ukrainian regions that are again accessible for "urgent visits" due to business interests or family circumstances. The travel advice for the center of the country, with the capital Kiev and the eastern part, remains completely negative.

"Russia continues its illegal warfare against Ukraine, but the country is showing remarkable resolve and resilience. There is now good air defense that can stop Russian missiles and drones," the British Foreign Office said.

Ukrainian airports remain closed to civilian traffic. The nearest airports that travelers wanting to go to western Ukraine could use are in Rzeszow (Poland) and Kosice (Slovakia). The journey will then have to be continued by road or rail.

Other countries have not yet taken any steps towards relaxation and is sticking to the code red. "Do not travel to Ukraine. It is too dangerous to travel there. Whatever your situation: do not go there."

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* Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)