Ukrainian civilians remaining in Kyiv to bolster its defences have called on the international community to create a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
It comes as territorial defence forces are working to identify and locate Russian terrorists operating a clandestine operation in Kyiv.
"The international community must provide as much support as possible - including imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine," said one man who spoke to RTÉ's Morning Ireland.
The man, whose first name is Taras, is giving logistical support to territorial defence forces in Kyiv. He warned the war in Ukraine is a clash of two civilisations.
"My message is simple. This is not a local war. This is the clash of civilisations. This is a struggle between the free democratic world and the world of totalitarianism.
"Now the conflict is happening on the territory of Ukraine but we want the world to realise that this attack is not just an attack on Ukraine but an attack on Europe - an attack on the western world," said Taras.
Speaking about the defence of Kyiv, he added territorial defence forces are trying to locate Russian spies and saboteurs who positioned themselves in the city before the conflict started.
"Russian terrorists are already in the city. Many of those Russians could have come to Ukraine two or three months ago and they could have lived here for quite a while - a clandestine operation. Their task is to organise … to open the gates of Kyiv to the Russian army coming in to the city.
"One part of the territorial defence units, who are working with police and security services, is to kill those … to find those clandestine Russian spies. Their role is to look for possible saboteurs," Taras said.
Taras moved his family to safety in the western city of Lviv two weeks ago.
"Today it is two weeks since I have seen my son. I think this is the first time that I haven't seen him for so long. This is painful," he said.
Taras' home "is situated on the western outskirts of Kyiv". One of the key battles is happening 15 kilometres from his home.
"We can hear the explosions and sometimes missiles fly over us," he said.
"The situation is really bad because for the second day in a row there were clear attempts by the Ukrainian forces to evacuate civilians but on both days the Russians were shooting directly at civilians," said Taras.
Another man who spoke to Morning Ireland - Talik - remains in Kyiv guarding his parents because they will not leave the city.
"They don’t want to evacuate from here. They cannot imagine their lives anywhere except here where they spent their whole life. They are senior people," said Talik, who is manufacturing camouflage nets for the army.
He said he will move his parents when fighting erupts on Kyiv's streets.
"As soon as there is some kind of urban fighting I will suggest to them to move," he said.
He added now may not be the best time to evacuate as many exit routes are blocked, moving slowly or congested.
"It is too hard to move out. All the main roads are overcrowded with people who want to move out," added Talik.
