Ukraine is situated in Eastern Europe and borders Russia to the east and north, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania to the west, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south and southeast, respectively. It has an area of 603,700 km². The capital city is Kiev.

Nationals of CIS, Baltic States, USA, Israel, EU countries and Japan do not require visas to enter the country.

Although largely flat, Ukraine features some mountainous terrain - the Carpathian Mountains in the west (highest peak - Hoverla mountain at 2 061 meters) and the Crimean mountains in the south (highest peak - Mount Roman Kosh at 1 545 meters). Expediently, all the distinct terrains are exceptionally picturesque and are within close proximity to each other, making it possible to shoot a wide variety of drastically different locations and scenes in the same day.

Dnieper is the largest river and the main waterway of the country. There are a few other big rivers - Southern Buh and Danube, as well as a few huge water reservoirs - Kremenchuk, Kakhovka, Dniprodzerzhynsk, Kiev and Kaniv Reservoirs.

Ukraine has a mostly temperate continental climate, although the southern Crimean coast enjoys a Mediterranean type of weather. The predominant climate is characterized by long and warm summers. Precipitation during summer months is disproportionately distributed: highest in the west and lowest in the east and south. Winters vary from cool in the south and west to cold farther inland, in particular in the north-eastern part of the country. All in all, the weather follows a predictable pattern, making on location shooting a safe bet. 

Ukrainian cityscapes are quite varied. Kiev, Lviv, Chernivtsi, Kharkiv, Odessa, Dnipropetrovsk - every city stands out and boasts a recognizable look and atmosphere. Stylistically different, thanks to a long and varied history, Ukraine offers a wide array of locations spanning various epochs - from medieval castles to urban cityscapes. As a dark legacy of the notorious Chernobyl disaster, which took place in April of 1986, Ukraine has a unique Zone of Alienation (the abandoned city of Pripyat’ and the exclusion area around it), a real-life post-apocalyptic setting that was most recently featured in the ‘Chernobyl Diaries’.

As the Ukrainian government becomes increasingly interested in luring film production to Ukraine, some serious legislative changes are well on the way. The main legislative act, regulating cinematographic exploits in Ukraine, has been significantly improved, and the final version of the document is expected to be ratified by 2012-2013. Film production incentives include tax credits and exemptions, as well as other incentive packages. 

Finally, in recent years, the quality of the infrastructure has really taken off. New and improved roads, international airports and top class hotels have become easily accessible.