I've been thinking about going to donetsk this fall to install running water and electricity to my in laws summer house and running water from a pump. 22 years ago the soviets had power going there but ukraine decided not to power the area. Now electricity is back and me and my builder were going to check everything out before powering the house again.
I'm not sure how happy the installed russian govt will be about americans in that area
I recall somebody stating that they had visited the area a few months ago,,, but I can’t remember who. Maybe the question should be, from which side should you enter??
What nationality is your wife,, Russian or Ukrainian?
I am going soon, but I have not set the dates yet.
Donetsk and Luhansk are now a part of Russia, or New Russia as they call it in English so you will need a Russian visa. The Russian ruble is now the currency, and you need to enter the area from Russia. You should fly or take the train to Rostov on Don (the nearest big airport on the Russian side of the border) from Moscow. There is no way across the border from the Ukraine side, and no trains, buses or planes from Kiev as Ukraine and Russia have cut off cross border trade, and travel.
I wouldn't worry about the natives being friendly as Russians seem to like Americans; it is the Americans that have problems with Russians.
"The Department of State warns all U.S. citizens to defer all travel to the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. There have been multiple casualties due to land mines in areas previously controlled by separatists, and separatist leaders have made statements indicating their desire to push the front line to the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Individuals, including U.S. citizens, have been threatened, detained, or kidnapped for hours or days after being stopped at separatist checkpoints. The Government of Ukraine has stated that foreigners, including U.S. citizens, who enter Ukraine from Russia through separatist-controlled territory will not be allowed through checkpoints into government-controlled territory."
Tom: you had better just hire someone to do the work. Be a benefactor in this situation from afar and not the hero. It is not only a threat to you, but possible retaliation to your in laws in a fluid environment that can change at any time and in at least months to come. Your people could be demonized because of your presence. What you think of as helping in an irrational climate can go very badly from big fish in a little pond with an agenda.
By the way Shea ... Should you need to communicate with the guys that were previously fucking your wife then my gorgeous and rich girlfriend speaks Arabic and can interpret for you.
Davao City is the principal city of Mindanao, my girlfriend's grandmother is amongst the 10 richest people in Davao, owner of a private school, a resort, those are just the tip of the iceberg.
Girlfriend has a physical appearance that I know my friends and others lech at, she is 33 years my junior, so far I have learned that she owns 2 condo's valued at PHP1.8m each, she owns a car, a motorbike, she has her own shellfish business, she's renting property in other locations, cashflow is not a problem to her and she has a 7 year contract interpreting/translating for a rich Arab.
Her parents are both dead, regardless of the family wealth they clearly had a healthy life insurance policy that gf and her younger sister became beneficiaries of, with grandma owning a public school she had a public school education, she did 6 years university studying Hotel & Restaurant Management and Foreign Languages, only last evening we were light-heartedly conversing in the Dutch language with each other (I previously lived for 2.5 years in Flemish speaking Belgium and 6 months in Netherlands).
Our personal relationship, not to mention our sex life, is great, we're managing my/our business together and she's remarkably down to earth, only two evenings ago the street restaurant owner where we go for dinner got VERY drunk leaving just one girl worker to cook and waitress so gf rolled her sleeves up and got working cooking and waitressing much to the bemusement of other diners with such feedback as "bloody hell, that's the first time I've been called sir in this place" :)
And my father always told me to marry an orphan to avoid inheriting a mother-in-law!
What's the matter RB, jealous that she can afford to travel whilst you can't?
To marry an orphan?? That reminds me of something from my early years of letter writing. A girl that had two of Dolly Parton’s distinct features,,, one is big hair,,,, told her story of being an orphan and having to care for her younger brother. She was worried that a man would not want to marry her, because she did not have a mother and father to guide her when she was growing up,,, no role models!! I complimented her for being able to support her brother and herself,,, then went on to say, that it might be a plus to a foreign man?! Not so many trips back and forth,,, no trouble with the in laws,,, no need to jump through hoops when being introduced to her family,,,, etc, etc!
She was furious that I could view that as something positive. It was an obvious sob story,,, worthy of violin music. I later found her to be on many websites,,, including scammer watch sites.
"What's the matter RB, jealous that she can afford to travel whilst you can't?"
Again, you are making assumptions that you know nothing about.
No, I am not jealous of your girlfriend. I do not judge others by how much money they have. I have been married to one who has assets. Do you think her money will be yours if you get married? No. I don't think so. Do you think your money will be yours if you get married? No, I don't think so either. You may think so, for a while.
You know better than I do that money is fleeting. In a flash, it can fly away.
No, I am not jealous, but you are. You have all of that, or at least you think or say you do. Then, you fantasize about someone else's wife.
"You have all of that, or at least you think or say you do."
Besides emphasizing that I have a girlfriend, a partner, who is not in a relationship with me because she is from a poor background and/or expecting me to financially support her family precisely what did I claim to have "all of that"?
"Do you think her money will be yours if you get married?"
Whoever mentioned marriage ... Besides you?
We have no plans to marry, we've discussed it but with no divorces here it's not something that either of us are in a hurry to do or feel it necessary to do.