The Ukrainian government has officially banned travelers passing through Ukraine in transit as part of its entry ban on foreign nationals until Sept. 28.
Originally, transit travelers were allowed on the condition that they had a document proving they would leave Ukraine within two days.
Ukraine closed its borders to foreigners — with some exceptions — on Aug. 28. The decision came in response to the surging number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
Many perceived the move as a measure to prevent thousands of Hasidic pilgrims from coming to the city of Uman on the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, which will be celebrated on Sept. 18-20. Israeli authorities had at one point requested that Ukraine ban the pilgrimage this year to avert an explosion of infections.
However, preventing the pilgrimage was not the primary reason for the entry ban, according to a source in the government, who was not allowed to speak with journalists on the record.
The Ukrainian government also expanded the category of relatives who are exempt from the entry ban. Now it includes spouses, parents, children under 18 and grandparents of a Ukrainian citizen.
Foreign students are also allowed to enter. However, as the government clarified, they must study at an institution of higher education.
