Title for the amusement and entertainment of dannyh – is that what he meant?

It appears from experience that there is no question to which someone on here does not know the answer, so here’s another obscure one for you:
Has anyone been to the Ukraine recently (say since November) or even better has anyone come from Ukraine since then?
My friend (a Ukrainian citizen, living in Kiev)is trying to get a visa to travel from there to various places in the EU, starting in Italy. She has tried embassies of a few countries, handed over the visa application (and a fee of 35-200 Euros) but they have all come back saying Visa Denied, no other explanation. She is pretty well travelled generally, and last year visited Italy and Australia, and has never had problems before, it is only since the current unrest began that visas have become a problem.
Anyone with any experience of travelling to/from Ukraine lately able to offer advice? Is it the authorities there not letting people out or the EU countries not letting people in? If it’s the latter is travelling a circuitous route via a third country an option and if so which?
Is applying for a visa from outside Ukraine possible and could it be done by a third person, could I go to the Italian embassy here and do it for her for example?
If it makes any difference she was intending to come for a good few months, from early spring until October but at this stage a couple of weeks in Italy in late May would do and then a visit to the UK in October (no separate visa for Scotland by then? Arriving a week before the referendum, leaving a week afterwards)
Cheers,
Andy H