>> reporter: for andry, the battle for the skies over ukraine is personal. both his mother and his wife are helping in the effort to fend off the russians, he says, and that he too is willing to sacrifice. >> translator: everyone's afraid of being killed. it's one thing to die with honor. another thing is to die without honor. >> reporter: the u.s. has said ukraine's air force remains largely intact and combat ready. the battle for the skies, another area where this outgunned nation is persevering against all odds. >> fred pleitgen joins us from kyiv. >> reporter: you're right, i would say it is. andre was saying at the beginning you have the entire russian military coming at you with russia's massive air force and the modern planes the russians have. and of course the ukrainians