Ukrainian soldiers prepare defences on Kyiv frontline

STORY: Situated 25 kilometers from Ukraine's capital, Bucha has come under heavy bombardment since the start of the war.

There Andriy and his unit prepared their defences on Thursday (March 24) by digging trenches and keeping watch, anti tank weapons and machine guns at the ready.

Andriy was sent to the frontline a day after joining up, leaving his wife and children hiding in the basement of their house in an area that was soon after taken over by Russian forces.

They since managed to escape through a humanitarian corridor, Andriy told Reuters.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation".