Comment by sillysaurusx | Hacker News Reader

Comment by sillysaurusx | Hacker News Reader

I’m trying to help my programmer friend escape Ukraine. Since smuggling is a hack, I’d like to ask HN for suggestions on how to pull this off.

His elderly father is being drafted. I got a DM from a mutual asking me whether there’s anything I could do for them. I have money but no knowledge of the country; they live there but have no money.

During WW2, various affluent people helped smuggle Jews out of Germany. I’d like to help my friend’s family in a similar way. But the reality of doing this is very different than the stories from history.

Currently my only plan is to yeet some cash at them and say good luck. But I was hoping to come up with something better.

I could book an airbnb for their family in a neighboring country, for example.

Does anyone know if the busses are still running? Is it possible to leave Ukraine right now via traditional means, or would they have to hoof it on foot? If they need to walk, does anyone have a suggestion on which part of the border might be friendly for an elderly family to cross?

I know this sounds unlikely, but given the choice between unlikely and “do nothing,” I’ll bet on unlikely.

EDIT: I made a twitter thread to share updates: https://twitter.com/theshawwn/status/1496761074258952193

And a second HN comment further upthread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30451691

It turns out that other people are trying to do this too. If we pool our knowledge, our chances probably go way up. Definitely get in touch.

I don't know the current situation, hopefully someone else can tell you that. But the good thing is Ukrainians can travel ( with a biometric Passport) to EU for 90 days and then see further.

One good travel Option (was, but I think should be still, AFAIK only planes stopped because they could be shot down) to travel by train to Lviv, take a taxi to Przemysl in Poland for maybe 50€ worth, and then take a train from there to for example Berlin.

All the best to your friend and his family.

I recommend Transferwise [1](now just Wise) for getting money to someone in Ukraine. They've got low fees and the ability to send money to Privatbank cards. Used them many times, while in Ukraine and while in the US.

1: https://wise.com/

Thank you! Someone else also mentioned Transferwise. (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30453538) Apparently there's a $200 limit, but usually that's enough.

I look forward to hearing how this works out, to the extent that you're comfortable sharing details. I feel like probably escaping from a war zone might cost more than US$200 and currency exchange might be problematic at the moment.

Poland will definitely accept them, they have publicly stated so.

Indeed, in the local news I could hear the Polish gov is preparing hotels and other accommodation places for people who will flee away from the conflict. I don't know the details but watch out, because there might many hotel owners, whose will want more money than they would usually take for a stay.

Edit: If they would decide leaving their country my very early tip is to download Google Translate with the all locales they know + country where they are. While you can find many people who speak Ukrainian/Russian in central EU countries, it is a priceless help for any foreigner. I had occasion to be a participant of a talk between people, who were writing the phrases on the screen to communicate. Since that moment, I have downloaded Ukrainian locale pack for offline use in Google Translate.

so does Romania

Are you in Ukraine? If not, how will you yeet cash at them?

Cryptocurrencies

And do what with those ? move to El Salvador ?

Escape Ukraine and utilize the crypto when you get to Poland or similar. That's the only realistic option if Russia is pulling a full invasion / occupation.

Hopefully they will be accepted by other individuals, where credit cards are not working and the national currency is in freefall.

It looks like maybe the hryvnia has lost 5% of its value over the last year (and 12% over the last three months)? The bigger issue is that it's likely that Russia will overthrow its government before April (50% probability) and after that it's anybody's guess what the new regime will do with the hryvnia.

https://tradingeconomics.com/ukraine/currency says 29.7 hryvnia to the dollar at the moment.

I mean, I'm not saying cryptocurrency is a bad idea, but the hryvnia doesn't seem as totally pointless as you suggest.

According to https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/24/ukranian-bank-suspends-e-cas... foreign exchange in Ukraine is mostly suspended though, and already was when I made my comment above, so the price in markets that are still open won't reflect what you see on the ground in Ukraine; the Tether price cited (32 hryvnia) suggests an additional 9% loss since yesterday, which does qualify as "free fall" if it continues.

According to news reports, crypto is being bought all over Ukraine right now.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/24/ukranian-bank-suspends-e-cas...

I guess this is another answer to "What is Bitcoin good for?" It's good when (quoting the article) your country's central bank suspends electronic cash transfers, suspends the foreign exchange market, limits cash withdrawals, and prohibits the issuance of foreign currency from retail bank accounts, because you're being invaded by Russia and your government has imposed martial law. Also apparently fighting-age Ukrainian men are prohibited from leaving Ukraine right now.

Also https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/25/4point1-million-in-cryptocur... says, "$4.1 million in cryptocurrency funneled to Ukrainian military since Russia invaded," by which it means "nongovernmental organizations and volunteer groups," aka militias or paramilitary troops, because the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense does not "use other payment systems ('Webmoney,' 'Bitcoin,' 'PayPal,' etc.)." (Though apparently some of the money is being used to buy materiel to give to the regular army.) So I guess Bitcoin is also good for sending funding to paramilitary militias in countries that are being invaded by much stronger armies.

Interestingly the article omits to mention that the most prominent volunteer groups like the Azov Battalion are neo-Nazis, even according to anti-Russian sources like https://crimethinc.com/2022/02/15/war-and-anarchists-anti-au....

Previously: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30447749 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30435383

Light travel and water. Then use bikes.

Paracetamol, antibiotics, vitamin C, patches, tooth brush, a lighter or two, a knife and/or scissors, strong and warm clothes, pen and paper, eat soups. I have a pouch to have my papers on my body, not in the pockets. Id start with that. Many other things Id do like take photo of my ID. Get ambassies adressses. Maybe call them, tell them youre coming and hung up.

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