In a Ukrainian city near Russia, a civilian army prepares for war

The threat of invasion is something that Kharkiv residents have had to face and learned to live with ever since Russian-backed separatists invaded Eastern Ukraine and Crimea in 2014 [Nils Adler/Al Jazeera]

*Only first names have been used in some instances to protect identities.

Kharkiv, Ukraine – Ukrainian soldiers shuffle through a sprawling post-Soviet factory. They enter a dusty auditorium, laughing as they fumble around in the dark.