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The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to:

Donetsk oblast

Luhansk oblast

Crimea

Events in Ukraine are fast moving. You should monitor this travel advice regularly, subscribe to email alerts and read our advice on how to deal with a crisis overseas.

The FCO isnt able to provide consular services to anyone in the parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts not currently under control of the Ukrainian authorities.

The security situation in the southeastern parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine remains highly unstable with ongoing clashes between Ukrainian armed forces and Russian-backed armed separatists. This has resulted in more than 9,500 deaths and the displacement of over 1.5 million people. Civilians continue to get caught up in the fighting.

Its illegal under Ukrainian law to enter internationally recognised Ukrainian territory through a border point that isnt currently controlled by the Ukrainian authorities. If you do so, you risk arrest or a fine, and you may be subject to a travel ban. International border crossings that arent currently under the control of the Ukrainian authorities include all land border crossings into Donetsk Oblast and many or the land border crossings into Luhansk Oblast. A list of open border crossings is available at the State Border Crossing Service of Ukraine

There are no scheduled flights into or out of Donetsk and Luhansk airport.

The FCO is not able to provide consular services to anyone in Crimea.

Russian forces and pro-Russian groups have established full operational control in Crimea. Following an illegal referendum on 16 March 2014, Russia illegally annexed Crimea on 21 March 2014 and tensions remain high.

Ukrainian International Airlines have cancelled all flights to and from Simferopol.

All train and official bus services to Crimea have been cancelled.

Its illegal under Ukrainian law to enter internationally recognised Ukrainian territory through a border point that isnt currently controlled by the Ukrainian authorities. If you do so, you risk arrest or a fine, and you may be subject to a travel ban. International border points that arent currently under the control of the Ukrainian authorities include all air and sea ports in Crimea. A list of open border crossings is available at the State Border Crossing Service of Ukraine. To enter or exit Crimea, foreign nationals will need to provide their passport and a special permit issued by the State Migration Service of Ukraine.

The Crimean sea ports of Kerch, Sevastopol, Feodosia, Yalta and Yevpatoria have been designated by the Ukrainian authorities as closed to international shipping.

The situation in Kyiv and western cities is generally calm, although occasional public demonstrations take place in and around the Verkhovna Rada (parliament building) and elsewhere in Kyiv. You should remain vigilant and monitor the media for information about possible safety or security risks. Public demonstrations can flare up and turn violent with little warning.

There has also been a series of small explosions, mainly in the middle of the night, and other security incidents in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Kherson and Lviv. These have included bombs being placed in pubs and cafes and outside banks. There have also been hoax bomb threats, especially in Kyiv.

On 20 July, a car exploded in the centre of Kyiv resulting in the death of the driver, prominent journalist Pavel Sheremet. No other individuals were harmed and Ukraines security services are investigating.

You should take great care and remain vigilant throughout Ukraine. Avoid all demonstrations and take extra care in public gatherings.

The British Embassy in Kyiv is open to the public by appointment only. If you need to contact the British Embassy, please call +380 44 490 3660, or send an email to ukembinf@gmail.com

Around 55,000 British nationals visited Ukraine in 2015. Most visits are trouble-free.

Take care on the roads. There are a high number of traffic accidents, including fatalities. See Road travel

Beware of petty crime, especially in crowded areas and tourist spots or when using public transport. See Crime

There is a general threat from terrorism. See Terrorism

The Overseas Business Risk service offers information and advice for British companies operating overseas on how to manage political, economic, and business security-related risks.

Take out comprehensive travel and medical insurancebefore you travel.

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Ukraine travel advice - GOV.UK

Certainly, recent reports that at least $12.7 million was allegedly paid by the former pro-Russian ruling party to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort were only the latest reminder of the demons Ukraine has yet to slay. More than two years after President Viktor Yanukovych abruptly fled, investigators are still trying to trace the money trail of those who supported him. Many officials from Yanukovych's inner circle are at large, having fled to Russia following a public uprising in 2014. (Manafort resigned from the Trump campaign last week and for his part denies allegations of shadow payments.)

That it is still so unclear who profited from Yanukovych's time in office, much less the limited progress that's been made in recovering ill-gotten wealth, is hardly surprising -- in the tangled web of international offshore accounts it can take decades to do so. Still, with so many struggling to get by on salaries eaten away by inflation and meager pensions, it would have been a wonderful way to celebrate this landmark anniversary if the government had been able to announce the repatriation of millions of dollars stolen from its coffers under Yanukovych's watch.

Still, while this is unlikely to happen anytime soon, there are areas where smart policy can make an immediate, positive impact on the well-being of ordinary Ukrainians: reforming governance and firing corrupt officials.

While there have been notable breakthroughs in such areas as government procurement processes, the pace of reform has been far too slow. Impatience is growing. Indeed, as far back as last year activists in western Ukraine were speaking of the need for a "Third Maidan" to shake things up.

Such sentiment might be understandable, but it is surely far better for change to be promoted through the ballot box than with bullets. And that raises the question what we can expect from the current President, Petro Poroshenko.

With his ratings at all-time lows, the so-called Chocolate King faces an uphill battle at the ballot box in the next election. This election needs to be held by 2019, which in theory gives Poroshenko plenty of time to boost his popularity. But his to-do list is a long one.

As a result of all this, the Minsk accords are increasingly looking to be unworkable. The ceasefire is not holding, there's a build-up of arms, and we are a long way away from the provision calling for fighters to return to their places of origin. With almost 500 square kilometers of Ukraine's eastern border under rebel control, it's easy for heavy weapons to flow into the conflict zone undetected.

So how should Ukraine respond?

There's growing talk in the corridors of power of a controversial but perhaps necessary move -- letting the Donbas go.

Riddled with mines and unexploded ordnance, bombed out buildings, roads and bridges and airports, the repair bill would run into the billions of dollars. Most able men and women have fled for safer ground and harsh as it may sound, many -- although not all -- of those who have stayed have grown resigned to life under the rebels.

It goes without saying that giving up on occupied, sovereign territory sets a terrible precedent. But a look at the picture suggests that Ukraine might be better off in the future -- and better able to steer its own destiny over its next 25 years -- if it made the difficult but brave decision to do so.

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Ukraine's uncertain anniversary (Opinion) - CNN.com

Once-secret accounting documents of Ukraine's pro-Kremlin party were released Friday, purporting to show payments of $12.7 million earmarked for Paul Manafort, who resigned as Donald Trump's campaign chairman following the revelations.

Manafort's resignation comes a day after The Associated Press reported that confidential emails from his firm contradicted his claims that he had never lobbied on behalf of Ukrainian political figures in the U.S.

The AP found that Manafort helped Ukraine's Party of Regions secretly route at least $2.2 million to two Washington lobbying firms. Manafort told Yahoo News that the AP's account was wrong.

Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau, which was set up in 2014 to deal with high-profile corruption cases, is studying the so-called black ledgers of the Party of Regions which investigators believe are essentially logs of under-the-table cash payments that the party made to various individuals.

The bureau on Friday released 19 pages of the logs which contain 22 line-item entries where Manafort is listed as the ultimate recipient of funds totaling $12.7 million. The bureau said, however, that it cannot prove that Manafort actually received the money because other people including a prominent Party of the Regions deputy signed for him in those entries.

Handwritten notes in a column describe what the payments were used for with entries such as: "Payment for Manafort's services," ''contract payment to Manafort" dated between November 2011 and October 2012.

Manafort and business associate Rick Gates, another top strategist in Trump's campaign, were working in 2012 on behalf of the political party of Ukraine's then-president, Viktor Yanukovych.

People with direct knowledge of Gates' work told the AP that, during the period when Gates and Manafort were consultants to Yanukovych's Party of Regions, Gates was also helping steer the advocacy work done by a pro-Yanukovych nonprofit that hired a pair of Washington lobbying firms.

The nonprofit, the newly created European Centre for a Modern Ukraine, was governed by a board that initially included parliament members from Yanukovych's party. The nonprofit operation subsequently paid at least $2.2 million to the lobbying firms to advocate positions generally in line with those of Yanukovych's government.

Two co-founders of the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine, Yevhen and Vitaly Kolyuzhny, both former members of parliament, are listed in the released documents as recipients of funds on Manafort's behalf.

Serhiy Leshchenko, a former investigative journalist turned lawmaker, on Friday published several pages from the ledgers in an article in the respectable Ukrainska Pravda newspaper.

When asked if he has evidence that Manafort actually received the money that had been earmarked for him, Leshchenko said investigators could prove that only if they question the people named in the ledgers. Leshchenko said Manafort had worked in Ukraine for several years and that the entries in the ledgers are the only explanation of how he could have been paid.

Some Ukrainian politicians who have been mentioned in entries released earlier this year have confirmed to local media that the books are genuine.

Leshchenko also said Manafort continued to work in Ukraine after Yanukovych fled and a new pro-European government stepped in and that Manafort consulted the Party of Regions for the 2014 parliamentary election and visited Ukraine last year.

Leshchenko also said that the ledgers contained the name of U.S. television personality Larry King, listed as having received an advance payment of $225,000 via Geller, a Party of Regions deputy.

On Friday, Ukrainska Pravda online newspaper published a photocopy of the line-item entry showing Geller's signature dated Oct. 11, 2011, as recipient of funds for King.

When asked what King could have possibly been paid for, Leshchenko mentioned that King went to Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, in 2011 to interview Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, a member of the Party of Regions.

The AP sought comment from King's representative, but there was no immediate response.

Jeff Horwitz and Chad Day in Washington contributed to this report.

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Ukraine Details Payments Allegedly Earmarked for Trump ...

The investigation is broad and is looking into whether US companies and the financial system were used to aid alleged corruption by the party of former president Viktor Yanukovych.

Manafort, who resigned as chairman of Donald Trump's campaign Friday, has not been the focus of the probe, according to the law enforcement officials. The investigation is ongoing and prosecutors haven't ruled anything out, the officials said.

The probe is also examining the work of other firms linked to the former Ukrainian government, including that of the Podesta Group, the lobbying and public relations company run by Tony Podesta, brother of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.

Anti-corruption investigators in Ukraine have alleged Yanukovych and members of his party ran a corrupt regime. He fled to Russia following a public uprising in 2014.

The FBI, Justice Department and Manafort declined to comment. A Washington attorney who represents Manafort and Yanukovych didn't respond to a request for comment.

The Podesta group issued a statement saying it hired lawyers to examine its relationship with a not-for-profit organization linked to the ousted Ukrainian regime.

"The firm has retained Caplin & Drysdale as independent, outside legal counsel to determine if we were misled by the Centre for a Modern Ukraine or any other individuals with regard to the Centre's potential ties to foreign governments or political parties," the statement said.

It continued: "When the Centre became a client, it certified in writing that 'none of the activities of the Centre are directly or indirectly supervised, directed, controlled, financed or subsidized in whole or in part by a government of a foreign country or a foreign political party.' We relied on that certification and advice from counsel in registering and reporting under the Lobbying Disclosure Act rather than the Foreign Agents Registration Act. We will take whatever measures are necessary to address this situation based on Caplin & Drysdale's review, including possible legal action against the Centre."

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Feds Investigate Manafort Firm as Part of Ukraine Probe

Russian President Vladimir Putin,right, chairs a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council of the Russian Federation at the Belbek airport near the Black sea port of Sevastopol, Crimea, on Aug. 19, 2016.(Photo: Dmitry Astakhov, AFP/Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, making a surprise visit Friday to the disputed Crimea peninsula, condemnedwhat he called "terrorist attacks" on the region by Ukraine but said the Kremlin did not intendto cut diplomatic ties with Kiev,Russian media reported.

Last week, Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) said it thwarted"terrorist attacks" in Crimea allegedly mounted byUkraines Defense Ministrys main intelligence directorate, according to the Tass news agency. It saidtwo Russian soldiers were killed in a purported cross-border raid.

I think its obvious that Kievs current authorities are not seeking ways to solve problems through negotiations, but have turned to terrorism, Putin said, callingthenew development "alarming,"RT.com reported.

In a screen shot from vidoe provided by Russian Federal Security Service Press Service, a handcuffed man identified as Yevgeny Panov, suspected of being involved in a group that Russia's Federal Security Service identified as Ukrainian 'saboteurs,' is led by officers in Crimea, on, Aug. 11, 2016. 5(Photo: Russian FSB Press Service/AP)

"We're not going to cut our relations, despite the reluctance of the current authorities in Kiev to have full diplomatic ties at ambassador level," hetoldmembers of the Security Council meeting in Sevastopol."We nevertheless will create opportunities for the development of contacts and their support.

It was Putin's firstpublic visit to the Crimea since it was forcibly annexed by Russia in 2014 in a move condemned by the U.S. and other Western countries.The visitcomes one week after he discussedwith the counciladditional security measures in the region, Tassreported.

The Russian leader saidUkraine has attempted "sabotage" in the areabecause of its "reluctance or inability" to implement agreements reached in Minsk last year to end armed conflicts in eastern Ukraine.

The FSB reported a group of "saboteurs" killed two Russian servicemen who were trying to detainthem onAug. 7 near the city of Armyansk, close to the Ukrainian border, according to Tass.The FSB said the "aborted terror attempts" were aimed at Crimea's critical infrastructure. The FSB also reported arresting a Ukrainian "infiltrator" who purportedly claimed Kiev was planning to target a bus stationand an airport in the port city of Simferopol, RT.com reported.

Although Russia has reportedly amassed thousands of troops on the border purportedly for military exercises,Russian military commanders have no plans to strike Ukrainian territory in response to the attacks, the Russian business daily Vedomosti reported this week, quoting a source close to the Defense Ministry.

On Thursday, Russian naval and land forces engaged in a logistics exercise ahead of bigger war games scheduled for next month.

About 2,500 troops and as many as 350 armored vehicles from Russia's Black Sea fleet were involved in the exercise.

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Putin, in Crimea, condemns 'terrorist attacks' by Ukraine