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Day by day, Kyiv became more tense.

Checkpoints, barricades, and barricades spread from the majestic streets of downtown to highways on the outskirts of the city. Pointy metal tank traps - known as hedgehogs - sprung up in strategic locations. Troops are more vigilant, checking every vehicle. Some were still smiling and saying "welcome," but many seemed distracted, already focused on the upcoming fight.

It felt like the Ukrainian army in the capital was ready to deploy. The ancient city - with its elegant facades and onion-domed churches - is now being.

Progress in Russia was not planned for President Vladimir Putin. As the invasion entered its second week, its troops and tanks were still outside the capital - but perhaps not for long. The Ukrainian army we spoke to on Thursday expects Russia to reach Kyiv within a day or two.

So, deep in the forest on the outskirts of the city, the guys from the Ukrainian Territorial Defense were digging a trench.

"Welcome to our party," said the soldier who dropped us off, jerking for a moment in the back of an army truck full of ammunition boxes.

The scene is reminiscent of World War II. There were no heavy equipment, and everyone had only a shovel in hand. Blocking the streets of the Russian army is an urgent task. We were unable to determine the location. A man uses a chainsaw and fights a stubborn pine tree.

Mykhaylo is one with the jungle. The 25-year-old computer programmer stands proudly in full camouflage. Earlier this year, he joined a territorial defense unit and trained for only a few days, but insisted he was ready for battle.

"I'm not afraid," he said firmly. "We are ready and we have a lot of strong people there. There's a high chance the Russians won't even come here. I have great confidence in our armed forces. If Russia can do it, we will push it. they're out."

Others around him—including veterans and young volunteers—were taking crash courses in first aid on the battlefield. They were shown how to apply a tourniquet on their own limbs or that of another person, while lying flat on the ground. Its purpose was to prevent catastrophic blood loss, the leading cause of death in war.

"They have to know how to save themselves, save their friends," said Olga, who has long brown hair and a black wool hat. "We didn't have time to show them everything, so we showed what was most important." He's not a paramedic himself — he works in procurement — but he shares what he knows. As we were talking, he was interrupted by the sudden sound of gunfire.

He hoped that today's lesson would be put into practice as soon as Russian troops broke through the city. "Unfortunately, I think it's a few days and we are scared. But this is our city, this is our country, and we have to fight."

Since the eruption began eight days ago, many Ukrainians have been queuing in scorching heat to request a territorial defense unit in Kyiv. We meet Denys, a 36-year-old lawyer and anti-corruption activist, waiting in line under a light snowfall.

"I was preparing to fight for my homeland with my shooter," he said. "Now we are soldiers, and we will defend the country from robbers, invaders. We will fight to the last drop of our blood."

Like many at the time, he believed there was much more at stake than Ukraine's future. "We will fight until the end, and we will win," he said. "We have no choice because this is fighting for the republic, for freedom, for mortal rights. We will fight for Ukraine, for Europe and for the world."