Traveling through the center of Kyiv leaves no room for doubt. This is a city that is preparing for a major Russian attack.
Rows of concrete panels arranged in labyrinth-like formations. Anti-tank road blocks. Piles of sandbags. Improvised barriers made of random pieces of metal, wood, old tires or anything at hand.
And wherever you look, there are blue and yellow Ukrainian flags.
The city is incredibly quiet. Many people have fled in recent days. Those who remained were taken to bomb shelters, basements and metro stations.
The checkpoints along the city’s entry points are run by ordinary Ukrainians. These are not soldiers. A week ago, many of these men would be at work or enjoying a vacation with friends and family.
Now they are ready to defend the capital of their country.
Alexei Goncharenko guarded one of Kyiv’s checkpoints on Tuesday, armed with a rifle he took last week after responding to calls from Ukrainian authorities to prepare for the country’s defense.
It was terribly cold and Goncharenko worked in shifts with other volunteers. When he is not at the checkpoint, he says he is at the base, helping where he can: “Humanitarian aid, helping people get [to places]arranging transport, sharing information. “
Goncharenko is not and has never been in the military. He is a member of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament.
“I’m not a professional soldier at all, but I can try and I can do my best and I will do it if Russian forces enter Kyiv,” he told CNN.
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