Even in cities and towns that have not yet heard the boom of Russian artillery fire, residents were preparing for the possibility of an attack. In the tiniest villages, people were out in force on Sunday, setting up checkpoints and building fortifications out of sandbags, tires and sometimes entire trees.

At the entrance of a village called AgroCenter 2, locals were loading sandbags, and someone had erected a wooden cross inscribed with the words “Save and Protect” in Ukrainian. At another checkpoint, someone had scrawled a vulgarity directed at the Russian president that has become a rallying cry for Ukrainians.

Billboards with colorful messages aimed at unwanted Russian guests have gone up around the country.

On Ukraine’s east-west arteries, cars fleeing the fighting further east could be seen decorated with the country’s flag.