Ukraine
What this score means
- Extreme75 to 100
- Severe and systematic. Device search, interception and detention over online activity are documented rather than theoretical. Reconsider what you carry and what you say.
- High50 to 74
- Substantial and consistently evidenced measures. Device inspection, monitored networks or restricted services should be expected rather than treated as unlikely.
- Caution25 to 49
- Some risk, and manageable with precautions. Measures are evidenced but are narrow, inconsistently applied, or the picture is mixed.
- Low0 to 24
- Ordinary precautions. No systematic device search, network restriction or prosecution of visitors for online speech is evidenced.
Government travel advice is written for one citizenry, so the same country carries a different assessment depending on your passport. Change it in the header.
Showing the baseline, which weights every issuer equally. No government in our corpus publishes travel advice written for you, so this is not addressed to you specifically.
For United Kingdom nationals: 52 (high). This leans on advice written for British nationals, and weights other issuers lower.
For Europe nationals: 60 (high). This leans on advice written for German nationals, and weights other issuers lower.Adjusted by 10 percent for the relationship between Europe and this destination.The European Union maintains restrictive measures in this respect: Restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine (sectoral restrictive measures) Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For United States nationals: 55 (high). This leans on advice written for US nationals, and weights other issuers lower.
For Canada nationals: 55 (high). This leans on advice written for Canadian nationals, and weights other issuers lower.
For Latin America and the Caribbean nationals: 57 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for Latin America and the Caribbean, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 4 percent for the relationship between Latin America and the Caribbean and this destination.For most passports in this region, Ukraine requires a visa in advance, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 33 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For Africa nationals: 57 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for Africa, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 4 percent for the relationship between Africa and this destination.For most passports in this region, Ukraine requires a visa in advance, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 54 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For Middle East nationals: 54 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for Middle East, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.
For South Asia nationals: 57 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for South Asia, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 4 percent for the relationship between South Asia and this destination.For most passports in this region, Ukraine requires a visa in advance, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 14 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For East and South East Asia nationals: 57 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for East and South East Asia, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 4 percent for the relationship between East and South East Asia and this destination.For most passports in this region, Ukraine requires a visa in advance, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 19 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
For Oceania nationals: 57 (high). No government in our corpus writes travel advice for Oceania, so this starts from the neutral baseline and is then adjusted for the relationship below.Adjusted by 4 percent for the relationship between Oceania and this destination.For most passports in this region, Ukraine requires a visa in advance, applied for and vetted before travel. Summarised across 14 passports, which do not all face the same rule. Source.A sanctions regime is not a measure of cyber risk. It is used as a bounded proxy for the closer attention nationals of a sanctioning state are reported to receive on entry, and it can move a score by a limited amount in either direction, never replace it.
Dimensions
Each dimension is scored independently, because the traveller who cares about legal exposure for what they have posted is often not the one carrying client data. Higher means more risk.
Surveillance and interception
How comprehensively are communications intercepted, retained, and monitored, and is commercial spyware in use?
good confidence5 independent sources
Why this score (6 sources)
Freedom House 2026 scored UKR 2 of 4 on freedom to express personal views on sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution.
Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored UKR 1.39 of 4 on how comprehensively the government monitors social media and private online communication, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored UKR 2.84 of 4 on how far privacy protection law shields communications from government access, where higher is freer. This measures what privacy law permits rather than what monitoring is practised, so it is read here as a constraint on interception rather than a measurement of it.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
The World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2025 scored UKR 0.40 of 1 on whether freedom from arbitrary interference with privacy is effectively guaranteed, a measure built from expert assessments of warrantless interception of communications.
World Justice Project, Rule of Law Index, sub-factor 4.6 · observed 2025-01-01
The spyware is similar to the so-called Monokle family of spyware, according to researchers from The Citizen Lab, a University of Toronto-based institute which has discovered and confirmed scores of civil society spyware infections in recent years.
The Record feed · observed 2024-12-05 · extracted by language model
A powerful software exploit capable of penetrating and stealing information from potentially hundreds of millions of Apple iPhones was planted on dozens of websites in Ukraine in recent weeks, researchers said on Wednesday, March 18.
Rappler, via a site scoped search · observed 2026-03-19 · extracted by language model
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
1 excluded source
- Committee to Protect Journalists, via a site scoped search, observed 2024-02-09: aged out after 3 years.
Network threat
How hostile is the network environment to a foreign visitor, from state actors and criminals alike?
good confidence6 independent sourcesEvidence is ageing: contributing sources are weighted at 39% of full strength.
Why this score (7 sources)
ITU Global Cybersecurity Index 2024, Technical pillar: 17.35 of 20.
International Telecommunication Union, Global Cybersecurity Index · observed 2024-12-31
Freedom House scored Ukraine 19 of 25 on obstacles to access in Freedom on the Net, a category covering state control over internet infrastructure and gateways, regulatory and ownership control over service providers, and the independence of the regulator.
Freedom House, Freedom on the Net, obstacles to access · observed 2025-01-01
A powerful software exploit capable of penetrating and stealing information from potentially hundreds of millions of Apple iPhones was planted on dozens of websites in Ukraine in recent weeks, researchers said on Wednesday, March 18.
Rappler, via a site scoped search · observed 2026-03-19 · extracted by language model
A large-scale cyberattack believed to have been carried out by Russian hackers knocked most of Ukraine’s state registers offline, leaving citizens unable to access essential services linked to their digital records.
The Record feed · observed 2024-12-26 · extracted by language model
Using a smartphone in areas controlled by the Russian forces, such as in Bucha or Irpin in the Kyiv oblast, could be interpreted by the invading troops as the act of an informant, putting civilians trying to communicate in mortal danger.
Access Now feed · observed 2024-02-22 · extracted by language model
The risks of a monopoly Ukraine’s initial predicament arose because conventional telecommunications networks proved acutely vulnerable to Russian strikes, sabotage, and cyberattacks.
Emerging Europe, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-03-14 · extracted by language model
It acknowledges “that the ongoing destruction of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and the disruption of essential services caused by Russian cyber operations will require substantial multi-year assistance for Ukraine to maintain and strengthen its cybersecurity and cyber resilience capabilities,” and warns that “Russian cyber operations and cyber activity are expected to continue well beyond any formal cessation of hostilities.”
The Record feed · observed 2023-12-20 · extracted by language model
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
5 excluded sources
- Daily Maverick feed, observed 2024-09-05: aged out after 2 years.
- The Record feed, observed 2017-07-01: aged out after 9 years.
- The Record feed, observed 2023-12-13: aged out after 3 years.
- The Register feed, observed 2023-02-24: aged out after 4 years.
- Euractiv, via a site scoped search, observed 2023-11-14: aged out after 3 years.
Border device risk
How likely is my device to be searched, imaged, or seized at the border, and can I be compelled to unlock it?
good confidence5 independent sources
No reports were found of devices being searched, imaged or seized at this border, or of travellers being compelled to unlock them. The score below is drawn from general indicators for this country rather than from anything observed about this risk, so it describes an absence of reports rather than evidence that the risk is absent.
What the score rests on (5 indirect sources)
Freedom House 2026 scored UKR 1 of 4 on due process in civil and criminal matters.
Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01
Ukraine - Level 4: Do Not Travel
US Department of State, Travel Advisories · observed 2026-08-28 · written for USA nationals
FCDO advice for Ukraine: avoid_all_travel_to_parts, avoid_all_but_essential_travel_to_parts.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-10-02 · written for GBR nationals
Ukraine: Avoid all travel
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-14 · written for CAN nationals
Ukraine: Reisewarnung: travel warning in force
Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise · observed 2026-09-25 · written for DEU nationals
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Connectivity continuity
How likely am I to lose access to the internet, or to the specific tools I depend on?
good confidence9 independent sources
Why this score (23 sources)
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored UKR 3.31 of 4 on how often the government shuts down domestic access to the internet, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored UKR 2.37 of 4 on how routinely the government filters internet content in practice, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
OONI recorded 40 confirmed and 24,829 anomalous results across 504,144 web connectivity measurements in UKR over the 30 days to 2026-10-16, a confirmed blocking rate of 0.01 percent.
Open Observatory of Network Interference, OONI measurement data · observed 2026-10-16
Ukraine - Level 4: Do Not Travel
US Department of State, Travel Advisories · observed 2026-08-28 · written for USA nationals
FCDO advice for Ukraine: avoid_all_travel_to_parts, avoid_all_but_essential_travel_to_parts.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-10-02 · written for GBR nationals
Ukraine: Avoid all travel
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-14 · written for CAN nationals
Ukraine: Reisewarnung: travel warning in force
Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise · observed 2026-09-25 · written for DEU nationals
Deliberate shutdowns and interferences with civilian internet and telecommunications networks continue to this day.
Access Now feed · observed 2024-02-22 · extracted by language model
Russian attacks on the energy network may result in unscheduled blackouts or emergency power cuts with little notice.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-10-02 · written for GBR nationals · extracted by language model
Elon Musk's Starlink imposed restrictions on the operation of internet terminals in Ukraine overnight, disrupting military missions, an adviser to the Ukrainian president said on Wednesday.
France 24 feed · observed 2026-10-14 · extracted by language model
IODA detected 4 internet outage events affecting Ukraine in the 7 days to 2026-09-30, with an aggregate disruption score of 796.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-30
IODA detected 4 internet outage events affecting Ukraine in the 7 days to 2026-09-29, with an aggregate disruption score of 796.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-29
IODA detected 4 internet outage events affecting Ukraine in the 7 days to 2026-09-28, with an aggregate disruption score of 796.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-28
IODA detected 4 internet outage events affecting Ukraine in the 7 days to 2026-09-27, with an aggregate disruption score of 796.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-27
IODA detected 4 internet outage events affecting Ukraine in the 7 days to 2026-09-26, with an aggregate disruption score of 796.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-26
IODA detected 4 internet outage events affecting Ukraine in the 7 days to 2026-09-25, with an aggregate disruption score of 796.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-25
IODA detected 4 internet outage events affecting Ukraine in the 7 days to 2026-09-24, with an aggregate disruption score of 796.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-24
IODA detected 1 internet outage event affecting Ukraine in the 7 days to 2026-09-23, with an aggregate disruption score of 143.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-23
IODA detected 3 internet outage events affecting Ukraine in the 7 days to 2026-09-16, with an aggregate disruption score of 176.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-16
IODA detected 3 internet outage events affecting Ukraine in the 7 days to 2026-09-15, with an aggregate disruption score of 176.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-15
IODA detected 3 internet outage events affecting Ukraine in the 7 days to 2026-09-13, with an aggregate disruption score of 176.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-13
IODA detected 3 internet outage events affecting Ukraine in the 7 days to 2026-09-12, with an aggregate disruption score of 176.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-12
IODA detected 3 internet outage events affecting Ukraine in the 7 days to 2026-09-10, with an aggregate disruption score of 176.
Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis · observed 2026-09-10
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
2 excluded sources
- Reporters Without Borders, via a site scoped search, observed 2023-09-22: aged out after 3 years.
- ARTICLE 19, via a site scoped search, observed 2017-05-16: aged out after 9 years.
Speech and legal exposure
What legal risk attaches to what I have said online, or say while I am there?
good confidence8 independent sources
Why this score (11 sources)
Freedom House 2026 scored UKR 2 of 4 on freedom to express personal views on sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution.
Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01
Freedom House 2026 scored UKR 2 of 4 on free and independent media.
Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored UKR 3.10 of 4 on how routinely the government censors political content on social media, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored UKR 1.74 of 4 on how often people are arrested for political content they posted online, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
Ukraine - Level 4: Do Not Travel
US Department of State, Travel Advisories · observed 2026-08-28 · written for USA nationals
FCDO advice for Ukraine: avoid_all_travel_to_parts, avoid_all_but_essential_travel_to_parts.
UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-10-02 · written for GBR nationals
Ukraine: Avoid all travel
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-14 · written for CAN nationals
Ukraine: Reisewarnung: travel warning in force
Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise · observed 2026-09-25 · written for DEU nationals
As reported by Amnesty International , free speech restrictions in the country have increased since 2022, with 2,000 cases of individuals being charged, prosecuted or investigated for crimes such as “justifying Russian aggression against Ukraine”, including those who class themselves as pacifists.
Index on Censorship, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-02-24 · extracted by language model
You could face arrest and jail time if you take or upload photos or videos with prohibited content visible.
Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-16 · written for CAN nationals · extracted by language model
Everyone is guaranteed the right to freedom of thought and speech, and to the free expression of his or her views and beliefs.
Comparative Constitutions Project · observed 2026-10-16 · extracted by language model
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
1 excluded source
- Reporters Without Borders, via a site scoped search, observed 2023-09-22: aged out after 3 years.
Data jurisdiction
What happens to corporate or client data I carry into the jurisdiction?
moderate confidence1 independent source
Why this score (1 source)
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored UKR 2.84 of 4 on how far privacy protection law shields communications from government access, where higher is freer.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Encryption and VPN legality
Are VPNs and strong encryption lawful, and can I be required to install an application or hand over keys?
good confidence2 independent sources
Why this score (2 sources)
V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored UKR 2.65 of 4 on whether the government regulates the internet in a way consistent with international human rights standards, where higher is freer. This does not establish whether encryption or VPN use is lawful. It measures internet regulation in general, and is used as indirect evidence because the only survey that reads encryption law directly was published in 2019.
V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31
OONI recorded no confirmed blocking across 79,447 measurements of anonymity and censorship circumvention tools in UKR over the 90 days to 2026-10-16, with 2,112 further results inconclusive.
Open Observatory of Network Interference, OONI measurement data · observed 2026-10-16
Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).
Trend
The overall score is up 10.4 points over 61 days, from 44.1 to 54.5. Most movement is the event overlay decaying rather than anything happening: a news signal loses half its weight every three weeks, so a score drifts back toward its structural baseline on its own. A step that holds is the one worth reading.
Check this yourself
These are not inputs to the score for Ukraine. They are where to look if you want to test what is above against something we did not use.
- OONI ExplorerMeasured tests of website and app blocking, updated continuously by volunteers running probes in country. Not used in our scores: its licence forbids commercial use.
- IODA outage recordThe full outage history behind any continuity events shown above, including the measurement methods that detected them.
- FCDO travel adviceThe UK government view, written for UK nationals.
- US State Department travel advisoriesThe US government view, written for US nationals.
Sources
This assessment draws on 18 sources: Access Now feed; Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise; Comparative Constitutions Project; Emerging Europe, via a site scoped search; France 24 feed; Freedom House, Freedom in the World; Freedom House, Freedom on the Net, obstacles to access; Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis; Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories; Index on Censorship, via a site scoped search; International Telecommunication Union, Global Cybersecurity Index; Open Observatory of Network Interference, OONI measurement data; Rappler, via a site scoped search; The Record feed; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice; US Department of State, Travel Advisories; V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project; World Justice Project, Rule of Law Index, sub-factor 4.6. Every contributing claim is quoted with its origin and date above. Model version 0.12.0, computed 2026-10-16.
If something here is wrong, say so. Corrections are handled in public, and we correct because the evidence is wrong, not because someone objects.