The adventure begins

[Eduard]

Although introduction by a FSU woman wife of one of your friends would be an easy way to go about this, many people are not too keen on making such introductions. The reason for that is that if things don't work out between you two, your friend's wife is going to be "the guilty" party to both you and your future ex-wife. No one wants to lose friends so many people will try to not get involved in such introductions.

[CDW]

Welcome to the board.  I am from Portsmouth - not far from you!

[CDW]

Hello Roy,

As you are from the UK you have a very large advantage over most here that you should use: distance.
If you wish to maximize your chances while minimizing invested time, arrange to have a lot of three-day weekends. From the UK a flight to Ukraine and Russia is just a couple of hours, so you can go and come back easily.

Yes, unless she lives in ... like Mariupol, Sochi, for example. 

Would be perfect if she lives in Kiev / St Petersburg / Moscow

[Shadow]

Sochi is going to be easily accessible very soon.

[CDW]

Sochi is going to be easily accessible very soon.

3-day weekends, not going to be easy to fly to Russia, Belarus without visa. 

[newjason]

Although introduction by a FSU woman wife of one of your friends would be an easy way to go about this, many people are not too keen on making such introductions. The reason for that is that if things don't work out between you two, your friend's wife is going to be "the guilty" party to both you and your future ex-wife. No one wants to lose friends so many people will try to not get involved in such introductions.

She can also be the "hero" who helped two people find each other.

Try it and see what happens. 

If she was/is well off... she most likely has some well to do friends and friends of friends.
Nothing wrong getting involved with a well to do woman at all.