- June 22, 2026
- 4:03 pm
- Brief news
Israel ranked in the top five countries whose citizens most frequently visited Ukraine in 2025. At first glance, this may seem like ordinary tourism statistics, but in reality, it signifies a much deeper change: after the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the travel map to Ukraine changed, with Russia and Belarus disappearing from the top 10, and Israel rising from 9th to 5th place.
According to the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine, as reported by (ukr.) on June 21, 2026, LIGAnet, in 2025 Israeli citizens made 105,013 visits to Ukraine.
This is the 5th place in the overall ranking. Only Moldova, Romania, Poland, and Hungary ranked higher than Israel. The gap between Hungary and Israel is minimal: Hungary had 106,190 visits, while Israel had 105,013, a difference of only 1,177 visits.
What the top 10 countries by visits to Ukraine in 2025 look like
According to published data, the top ten countries in 2025 are as follows:
- Moldova — 1,087,894 visits.
- Romania — 380,795 visits.
- Poland — 243,927 visits.
- Hungary — 106,190 visits.
- Israel — 105,013 visits.
- Slovakia — 69,755 visits.
- USA — 66,667 visits.
- Germany — 64,059 visits.
- Turkey — 61,981 visits.
- United Kingdom — 48,878 visits.
These 10 countries account for a total of 2,235,159 visits. Almost half of the entire top ten is Moldova: 1,087,894 visits, or about 48.7% of the top 10 total. Romania is in second place with 380,795 visits, and Poland is third with 243,927. Israel, with 105,013 visits, accounts for about 4.7% within the top ten.
For the Israeli reader, the number itself is not the only important thing, but also Israel’s place in this new picture. Israel ranked higher than Slovakia, the USA, Germany, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. The difference between Israel and Slovakia is 35,258 visits, and between Israel and the United Kingdom — 56,135 visits.
What was in 2021
To understand the scale of changes, one needs to compare 2025 with the pre-war year of 2021. At that time, the top 10 countries by the number of visits to Ukraine looked different:
- Moldova — 1,054,068 visits.
- Russia — 518,982 visits.
- Poland — 310,724 visits.
- Belarus — 272,869 visits.
- Romania — 264,216 visits.
- Turkey — 246,652 visits.
- Hungary — 227,354 visits.
- Germany — 154,133 visits.
- Israel — 133,105 visits.
- USA — 103,233 visits.
In 2021, Russia ranked 2nd with 518,982 visits, and Belarus 4th with 272,869 visits. By 2025, neither Russia nor Belarus was in the top ten. Their places were taken by Slovakia and United Kingdom. This makes the ranking politically and socially significant: not only has the travel statistics changed, but the geography of Ukraine’s contacts with the outside world has also shifted.
In 2021, Israel was in 9th place with 133,105 visits. By 2025, it rose to 5th place, although the absolute number of visits decreased to 105,013. This means there were 28,092 fewer visits, or about 21.1% less, but Israel’s position in the ranking became significantly higher.
This is a key point for understanding the news: Israel did not just “start traveling more” to Ukraine. It is more accurate to say that against the backdrop of war, closed routes, changes in security, and the disappearance of Russia and Belarus from the top ten, Israel became one of the most notable destinations for human connections with Ukraine.
Why Israel rose, even though visits decreased
At first glance, one might wonder: if there were 133,105 visits in 2021 and 105,013 in 2025, why is this called strengthening Israel’s position? The answer is simple: the overall context has changed.
In 2021, the top ten countries collectively accounted for 3,285,336 visits. In 2025, the top 10 totaled 2,235,159 visits. The difference is 1,050,177 fewer visits, a drop of about 32% within the top ten.
Against this backdrop, Israel lost less in absolute numbers than many other countries. For example, Turkey decreased from 246,652 to 61,981 visits, a loss of 184,671. Germany went from 154,133 to 64,059, a loss of 90,074. Hungary from 227,354 to 106,190, a loss of 121,164. The USA from 103,233 to 66,667, a loss of 36,566.
Israel decreased from 133,105 to 105,013, a loss of 28,092. Therefore, in the relative structure of the ranking, it became more noticeable. In 2021, Israel accounted for about 4.05% of the top 10 total. In 2025, about 4.7%.
For NAnews — Israel News, this meaning is important: Israel maintained a close connection with Ukraine even when the overall travel structure became much more difficult, expensive, and complex.
This is no longer ordinary tourism
The biggest mistake is to present this topic as a simple tourism news. Ukraine in 2025 is a country that continues to live under conditions of full-scale war. Therefore, visits by foreigners to Ukraine today cannot be automatically perceived as leisure trips.
The State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine separately explains that after 2021, the structure of trips changed: classic tourism gave way to humanitarian, diplomatic, and other visits related to the military reality. Among the destinations that continue to attract foreigners are Kyiv, Lviv region, Odessa region, Dnipropetrovsk region, Zakarpattia region, and Ivano-Frankivsk region.
For Israel, this is especially understandable. Between Israel and Ukraine, there are not only state relations. There are families, repatriates, Ukrainians in Israel, Israelis of Ukrainian origin, volunteer connections, business, religious routes, Jewish history of Kyiv, Odessa, Lviv, Dnipro, Uman, Chernivtsi, and many other cities.
Therefore, 105,013 visits from Israel is not just a number. Behind it may be family trips, humanitarian aid, business meetings, religious routes, journalistic and public initiatives, diplomatic work, trips to relatives, and trips by people for whom Ukraine remains part of their personal biography.
Russia and Belarus disappeared from the top 10: why this is symbolic
In 2021, Russia and Belarus were among the largest sources of visits to Ukraine. Russia ranked second, Belarus fourth. Together they accounted for 791,851 visits: 518,982 from Russia and 272,869 from Belarus.
In 2025, they are not in the top ten. This is one of the strongest details of the entire statistics.
Other countries have taken the place of Russia and Belarus in the ranking. The top ten now includes Slovakia with 69,755 visits and United Kingdom with 48,878 visits. The list now resembles more of a map of Ukraine’s connections with Europe, the USA, Israel, and neighboring countries through which real routes of support, work, family, and diplomacy pass.
This reflects not only security and the closure of familiar routes. It shows how Ukraine over the years of war has effectively changed its circle of external contacts. Where there was once post-Soviet inertia, European and international connections are now much more noticeable.
Who strengthened in the ranking
Comparing 2021 and 2025, the picture looks uneven.
Moldova remained in first place and even grew: from 1,054,068 to 1,087,894 visits. The growth was 33,826 visits, or about 3.2%.
Romania rose from 5th to 2nd place. In 2021, there were 264,216 visits, in 2025 — 380,795. This is an increase of 116,579 visits, or about 44.1%.
Poland retained 3rd place, but the absolute number decreased: from 310,724 to 243,927, a decrease of 66,797 visits.
Hungary rose from 7th to 4th place, although the number of visits decreased from 227,354 to 106,190.
Israel rose from 9th to 5th place: from 133,105 to 105,013.
USA rose from 10th to 7th place, although the number of visits decreased from 103,233 to 66,667.
Germany remained in 8th place, but decreased from 154,133 to 64,059.
Turkey fell from 6th to 9th place: from 246,652 to 61,981.
Thus, the ranking shows not just the growth or decline of individual countries. It shows a new structure: who remained connected with Ukraine, who dropped out, who became more noticeable, and who lost their former significance.
Why this is important specifically for the Israeli audience
For Israel, this statistic has several levels.
First — human. In Israel, hundreds of thousands of people live whose personal or family history is connected with Ukraine. For them, Ukraine is not an abstract country on the map. It is cities, relatives, cemeteries, memory, business, language, culture, Jewish heritage, family documents, and personal routes.
Second — social. After February 24, 2022, Ukraine became one of the main topics for Jewish communities, volunteer organizations, and Israelis of Ukrainian origin. Even when Israel’s state policy remains cautious, civil society, private initiatives, and personal connections continue to work.
Third — political. The disappearance of Russia and Belarus from the top ten and the rise of Israel’s role in the ranking show that Ukraine is moving further away from the former post-Soviet model of connections. This is important for understanding where Ukraine is today and with whom it really maintains contact.
For NAnews — Israel News, this topic is also important because it shows: Ukraine remains a significant direction for Israel even in the years of war. Not as a place of ordinary rest, but as a space of memory, support, family, religion, business, diplomacy, and human responsibility.
Israel almost caught up with Hungary
It is worth noting the distance between 4th and 5th place. Hungary — 106,190 visits. Israel — 105,013. The difference is only 1,177 visits.
For a ranking of this scale, these are almost neighboring indicators. Israel effectively found itself on the border of the top four. Meanwhile, Hungary is a country that has a land border with Ukraine, while Israel is in another region and is connected to Ukraine by air routes through third countries, transfers, and land crossings after arriving in Europe.
This is why the Israeli figure looks particularly noticeable. When a country without a common border and in conditions of complex logistics ranks in the top 5 for visits to a warring Ukraine, it speaks to the depth of connections that do not disappear even with a sharp change in circumstances.
What the new geography of trips shows
The 2025 ranking can be read as a map of the new Ukraine.
Moldova remains in first place — 1,087,894 visits. This is explained by proximity, migration, family, and border connections.
Romania — 380,795 visits — has sharply increased its role and became second.
Poland — 243,927 visits — remains one of the key directions, although the figure is lower than pre-war.
Hungary and Israel are almost side by side: 106,190 and 105,013.
Next are Slovakia — 69,755, USA — 66,667, Germany — 64,059, Turkey — 61,981, United Kingdom — 48,878.
In this top ten, it is clear that Ukraine in 2025 is primarily connected with neighbors, European countries, the USA, Israel, and Turkey. Russia and Belarus, which were once part of the usual statistics, are no longer in this circle.
Main conclusion
Israel in the top 5 by the number of visits to Ukraine in 2025 is not just a line in statistics. It is an indicator that the connection between Israel and Ukraine remains alive even in wartime conditions.
Yes, the absolute number of visits from Israel decreased: 133,105 in 2021 compared to 105,013 in 2025. But Israel’s position rose from 9th to 5th. This means that against the backdrop of overall changes in routes, security, and international contacts, Israel became more noticeable in Ukrainian statistics.
The main symbol of this news is the disappearance of Russia and Belarus from the top 10. In 2021, they together accounted for almost 792,000 visits. In 2025, they are not among the leaders. Instead, Slovakia and the United Kingdom are now in the top ten, and Israel is in the upper part of the list.
For the Israeli audience, this means one thing: Ukraine remains not a foreign country. Even during the war, people continue to travel there from Israel — not only as tourists but as people connected to Ukraine by family, memory, work, faith, assistance, and shared history.