Seeking tourist dollars, Ukraine is offering soldiers, wannabees, and spies a chance to spend a few days at one of their military bases and even operate military equipment. For $650, you can drive a T-72 tank across a training course and then climb up into the gunner's seat to send a 122mm shell down range. Too expensive? Then how about $380 for the same experience in a BMP? If you are really cheap, you can fire an AKM rifle for $1.25 per shot. (A Dragunov sniper rifle will set you back $20 per shot.) For those with more to spend, you can buy a half-hour in the back seat of a MiG-29 or Su-27 for $5,235 (double that if you want some fancy maneuvers thrown in). For the Top Gun on a budget, you can ride an L39 trainer for $1725 or spend an hour in an Mi-8 helicopter (complete with a combat insertion and evacuation under simulated enemy fire) for $2610. You can stay in tourist barracks that reach Holiday Inn standards, or camp in the woods with the troops. Eat in a respectable restaurant or in the mess hall (for the same price). Most tours are coupled with military demonstrations and visits to various battlefields and museums. Just about any weapon in the Ukrainian arsenal is available (for a price) to tourists. Ukraine says it makes no attempt to screen out foreign intelligence officials as its equipment is well known around the world, and will even arrange special tours for them "at an appropriate price".--Stephen V Cole