Residents from two of Ukraine's biggest cities have revealed they were not entirely taken by surprise when they first heard the sound of explosions ring out in the country.
Blasts first began to sound in the country just moments after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a 'special military operation' in Ukraine, with Kharkiv resident Denis waking up to the sound of 'hundreds of missiles shelling northern and eastern borders' of his city just a mile and a half from his house.
Over in Kyiv, resident Natasha, whose name has been changed for the purposes of this article, had already started packing after seeing Putin's speech on the news at around 5am on February 24, and it was as she was packing that she heard the sound of two explosions.
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At the time, Natasha didn't realise they had come from ballistic missiles aimed at the country's capital, but she soon came to realise they had been sent by Russia.
Though it's hard to imagine being prepared for the breakout of war, both Denis and Natasha have described having plans ready for the moment the neighbouring country may launch an attack.
Speaking to UNILAD, Denis explained that upon being woken up he and his partner quickly began packing what they needed for their five-month-old son, but they 'had a sense of something coming, so were kind of prepared'. The father-of-one's preparations stem back months, to when military buildup first began on the border in March and April of 2021, according to Denis.
Knowing they may need to prepare for the worst, Denis described how residents 'prepared emergency suitcases and were ready to leave towards western borders within a couple hours', while he and his friends also took part in 'special courses for civilians' where they learned about 'medical care on the battlefield, survival in a field, weapons, grenades, mines and tactics'.
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For the first time in his life, Denis also decided to get a licence for a rifle that could be 'adjusted to work with military ammo'. After having undertaken some lieutenant courses he knew how to use arms, but admitted that prior to the start of the buildup he 'never thought that [he] would buy a rifle for the protection of [his] own family'.
Similarly to Denis, Natasha worked with her family to establish a 'plan of the worst case scenario', meaning that when she heard of Putin's plans to invade, she simply put the plan into action. She faced some struggles with older family members who were resistant to leave their homes, but thankfully she managed to get them in a car and begin her evacuation before the conflict really got underway.
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Despite the imbalance in size between the Russian and Ukrainian militaries, the latter has fought valiantly to defend the country and prompted expressions of praise and patriotism from its residents.
Natasha stressed that 'everybody's doing what they can' amid the invasion, whether by stepping up to fight, volunteering in hospitals or raising money, resulting in the 'usual Ukrainian habit of coming together to overcome Russians'.
Denis, meanwhile, expressed belief that the invasion has pushed Ukraine 'back in time by 10 years', but he remains confident that residents will 'restore [their] country' whatever it takes.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Emily Brown