A British student claims he is in Ukraine for 'fun' after previously being 'evacuated' from an 'insane Afghanistan holiday '.
Miles Routledge, from Birmingham, is a disaster tourist and shared news of his trip on Twitter, describing the journey from Poland to Kyiv, also spelt Kiev, as a "bargain" at £6 ($8).
He said he likes to explore the "worst places in the world" and said it was "honestly fun, almost like a soldier enjoying it despite what’s going on".
He previously visited Chernobyl in 2019 and now Miles claims is back in Ukraine, currently "a few km from the frontlines.. in the capital Kiev! Listening to 80s music, mostly walking on sunshine".
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Miles appears to have started his journey on Friday, February 25, when he tweeted: "It's official. Tintin goes to Ukraine, he's on the train."
Since then he's shared a series of messages about his plans and how his journey is going.
He wrote: "When I get settled in a hostel in Ukraine's capital, I'll do a livestream on my YouTube. I'll announce the time tomorrow or possibly the day afterwards. I know where the armoury is.
"I have an emergency satellite device I can tweet from. If I tweet the activation word 'Ronald McDonald', assume the worst and airstrike my coordinates."
He also shared an image of himself in a military uniform and a mask of Putin's face.
Miles wrote: "Refresher: Last week when I was in Donetsk, Ukraine, I befriended some soldiers, got a free uniform, wore a Putin mask yelling at the Russians and went to an abandoned old airforce base.
"Getting into Ukraine by train involved no bag or on person scan, didn't check my non-existent PCR either. I identified several areas where something could be smuggled in (open wall compartments, taking screws off etc). It's really a bad situation waiting to happen sadly."
Then, at around 9am this morning, he tweeted: "A few km from the frontlines in the capital Kiev! Listening to 80s music, mostly walking on sunshine."
He then went on to ask for his fans to donate money to his cause, adding: "I'm going to help with buying locals supplies, if you want to contribute to that cause or help me pay for accommodation, please specify and thankyou.
"So I've got veteran mates setting up field hospitals and safe houses in case of full occupation. They're fixing up locals and soldiers.
"This is still safer than London or Birmingham to be fair. I'm from Birmingham so I'm qualified to say this."
Speaking previously to student newspaper The Tab, Miles explained his motivation behind his unusual pastime.
He said: "It’s honestly fun, almost like a soldier enjoying it despite what’s going on.
"I’m not worried, if I die then it’s no longer an issue, if I’m alive then I’m in the green. If the country gets invaded, I’m getting the content and leaving through a neighbouring country or a last-minute flight out.
"I’m bringing a good chunk of change for charity work and I think just doing that is worth it. No matter what happens, I’ll sort out the situation with myself and my followers."
The British Government advises against travelling to Ukraine. They said : "There are multiple reports of widespread military activity and real risk to life. We advise British nationals to leave Ukraine immediately if you judge it is safe to do so.
"Ukraine’s airspace is closed. If you need assistance as you cross a border, please contact the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)."
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