That image above isn’t a joke, and it’s not the advice being given to Ukraine’s armed forces, facing a possible invasion by Russia. And it’s not an Onion-style send-up. Instead, it’s the latest advice from Ukraine tourism authorities, looking to drum up an invasion of vacationers.
A recent press release from Visit Ukraine follows up with the advice that there is “no need to panic” and that the “situation on the Ukrainian border remains under control,” despite reports in other media that Ukrainians are preparing for war or to leave the country if they can.
Visit Ukraine invites visitors to come to “majestic Kyiv, sleepless Kharkiv, fragrant Lviv, cozy Chernivtsi, exciting Odesa, mighty Zaporizhzhia, amazing Kherson.” Notably missing from the list is one of the country’s biggest, if unwanted tourism attractions: the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.