People around the world are booking Airbnbs in Ukraine. They don't plan to check in

(CNN) Volodymyr Bondarenko spends most of his day holed up in his apartment in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Between listening for air-raid sirens and frantically messaging family for updates, he trades messages with a flurry of Airbnb guests booking his one-bedroom rental in the heart of Ukraine's capital. Sometimes, he sends a crying emoji. Other times, the praying hands emoji. It's his way of thanking those who are booking his apartment -- even though they have no intention of ever showing up at his door.

Airbnb hosts in Ukraine are being flooded with bookings from people all over the world who have no plans to visit. It's part of a creative social media campaign to funnel money to besieged Ukrainians who need financial assistance as Russian forces bombard their country and cut off services.

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People are leaving messages of support for their Ukrainian hosts. The call for guests to book Airbnbs in Ukraine started online, where supporters urged people to book rooms as close to a check-in date as possible to ensure hosts receive fees quickly. Airbnb typically issues a payout about 24 hours after a guest checks in.

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In her booking, Daniel included a message for the host:
"I hope that you, and your lovely apartment, are safe and that this horrible war is over ... and Ukraine is safe," it said. "I will come and see you one day, please count on it, and will stay with you when we visit. God bless you and God be with you, your city, your country."
Her host, Olga Zviryanskaya, soon responded.
"We will be glad to see you in the peaceful city of Kyiv and hug," she said.

Read More: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/ukraine-airbnb-donations-cec/index.html