Death to our enemies!
Ukraine!
Above all!
This is what it looks like inside a city preparing for war.
Lviv was once a thriving tourist hub, but now this city in western
Ukraine has become a center of resistance against the Russian invasion.
In the first two weeks of war,
more than 2 million refugees have fled Ukraine.
Many are escaping homes that have been completely destroyed
during fierce fighting.
- The view of Kharkiv is now just like Syria.
Guys and [women] are burning in fire, killing civilian people.
For those who have stayed,
Lviv has become a training ground to help people prepare to defend Ukraine.
- It is better to die helping our people.
They are learning first aid,
sheltering refugees and sending supplies to the front line.
- In case we have some families coming over, we have all the necessary thing
between food, Pampers, blanket.
All in preparation for what seems inevitable,
fighting a war on their doorstep.
We will be defending until the last breath, I guess.
Yustyna and her friend Odarka
have recently joined the Territorial Defense Force as volunteers.
They're training to be part of the Emergency Medical Response Unit.
- If I am a medic and she gets injured and me too, Who first?
- It depends on who you think is hurting more.
- One minute before a person can die?
The bigger artery takes three to five minutes.
OK, thank you.
- I was in Kyiv for 10 days,
and every day I was scared that I will die
because of bomb will go into my house.
Before the war, Yustyna worked in human resources for an IT firm.
She spent much of her free time
as an animal rights advocate
in the capital city of Kyiv.
Everything changed once the bombing began.
- The situation in Kyiv is really, really dangerous and serious,
especially for civilian people.
During the first days of war, Yustyna recorded video diaries from Kyiv.
- It is my shelter for today.
It is not quite like the shelter.
It is just our first floor, our house.
Yeah, and here is
my bed for this night.
It is our new reality.
Russian occupiers said they just are shelling everything on their way,
and we have no vests, no weapon. And we are just a living
shield for Russian occupiers.
- We check the tourniquet first, because that will kill you the first.
We check the breathing because that will kill you next.
I want to gain all needed skills to come back to Kyiv
and to help our people there because there are a lot of people
who are in territorial defense battlefields.
They are just civilians.
It is better to die helping our people or something like that.
It will be more useful than just wait.
Since the war began
Lviv has become a transit point for thousands of the displaced.
It is the largest city in western Ukraine, and it's close to neighboring Poland,
which has already taken over 1 million refugees.
which has already taken over 1,000,000 refugees.
Vitaly and his family come from Zaporizhzhia.
Their home is dangerously close to the largest nuclear plant in Europe.
Days before he left, Russia attacked the plant.
- As I understand it, that's all your family?
Yes.
Four children.
- Will you stay here, or will try to go with your family?
I'll be with my family. How can my wife be without me with four children?
There is currently a law that says 18- to 60-year-olds can't cross the border.
But you'll try.
- He is a dad with many children.
They must skip me because of the law. We hope I'll [cross].
Ukraine’s president has enacted a martial law
prohibiting 18- to 60-year-olds from leaving the country.
Fathers with three children or more are supposed to be exempt.
And this family hopes they won’t be stopped at the border.
Many others are seeing their families ripped apart as a result of Russia’s invasion.
Chad runs a bar in the heart of Lviv’s historic downtown.
Like many people from the area, he has set up a shelter to help refugees.
We are hosting some people to stay over - some families, refugees -
until they will find their transport to the border.
Also, we are having a minus one floor, so if there is a siren, we go all downstairs.
Also, we are having minus one floor, so, if there is a siren we all go downstairs.
Here also everything is ready in case we have some families coming over.
We have all the necessary things between food, Pampers, blanket.
This here used to be our bar. It was discoteca,
but now it’s changing as you can see, disco ball.
Here, also some families are staying over.
Here, for example.
When there is also some siren, people are staying over and hiding.
Also the emergency exit in case something happen
or we have no other way to go up, we can also go this way.
Chad is using his social network to gather supplies.
- Some food, and here also we are sorting all the medicine as you can see.
A lot of medicine, which is good.
We are sending everything to Kharkiv.
It's written Kharkiv with a small heart.
The next shipment is meant for a small city north of Kyiv,
where Russia’s attempts to take control have so far failed.
- Nobody can reach this city.
The road is totally bombed.
So we are trying to find a small hole and deliver some stuff for the people.
so we are trying to find a small hole to deliver some supplies for the people.
Here in Lviv, there is a growing sense that they need to be prepared,
as fierce fighting continues throughout the country.
The city is protecting important statues and historic buildings.
People are digging bomb shelters in the event of airstrikes.
Both women and men are joining the Territorial Defense Force
and getting basic training on how to use weapons.
In the event that troops reach or land
on the outskirts of the Lviv region, I will join the Territorial Defense and
take up a weapon and will help any way I can.
Anton is a graphic design student,
but like most people his age, he is doing what he can to protect his city.
Today we were making camouflage nets for our machinery, for our military vehicles,
and, of course, they're used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and in the Territorial Defense.
We are hiding not only our machinery, but our defense facilities, like barricades, checkpoints.
Unlike other parts of the country,
the residents of Lviv haven't been under attack,
so they've had time to organize their defense.
Here, volunteers celebrate the news of some victories across Ukraine.
The head of the Mykolaiv region announced that three Russian helicopters were shot down.
Ukraine has just joined NATO's cyber center.
Glory to Ukraine!
Glory to the heroes!
Glory to our nation!
Death to our enemies!
Ukraine!
Above all!