UKRAINE / Lviv during the war / Russian Invasion / 26 August 2022

I decided to visit one of my favourite countries - Ukraine during the ongoing war. My main reason was to visit my friends who are unable to leave the country and to support them during this difficult time. I evaluated the risks of going there and eventually decided it was 'safe enough' to go there. Lviv is considered to be the 'safest place' in Ukraine due to its proximity to the Polish border and thus NATO. Most Ukrainians fleeing the most impacted war zones have settled in Lviv and the city's population has increased significantly. The only way to travel to Ukraine is by bus or by train - I chose to go there by bus, which took around 9 hours each way (mainly waiting at the border as it took a long time). In my very short time (a few hours) I used the opportunity to walk through the city and visit my favourite places. Life in Lviv felt more or less 'normal' however all the major buildings (churches and monuments) were secured in case of an air strike. You could see a lot of people around and at times you could forget the ongoing war. I was lucky not to hear any sirens during my stay. I felt very strange, in some way happy to be back in this wonderful place, but in the same time I felt very sad as the inflation in the country is very high and prices have increased significantly. If any one complains about the current inflation in Europe, believe me the situation there is much harder. Reflecting on the above, we all need to support Ukraine by donating money to their army or other humanitarian organisations. They need to win this war as they are fighting for not just themselves, but also for all of us. I hope all of you get to visit Ukraine after this war and fall in love it as much as I did. Glory to Ukraine, Glory to the Heroes!