Ukrainian paramedic describes dodging artillery fire to get to injured children: 'My mother instinct kicks in'

• Tetiana, a paramedic, has been working in the separatist region of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
• Her team of four has to wear full body armor because they frequently come under artillery fire.

A paramedic working close to the front lines in Ukraine told Insider one of the hardest part of her job is dodging artillery fire to treat injured children.

"One of the biggest challenges of the job for me is when I have to treat children because my mother instinct kicks in and it's hard for me to switch it off," Tetiana said. She has one child of her own, and two grandchildren.

Tetiana is a paramedic with 35 years of experience working in the separatist region of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.

Even though Ukraine has been fighting Kremlin-backed rebels in the area since 2014, the region has seen renewed fighting as Russia attempts to take control of the city of Bakhmut, located in the northeastern part of Donetsk.

The seven-month battle for Bakhmut has been one of the bloodiest fights of the war so far, with thousands of soldiers dying on both sides.

Tetiana and her team of four work around 31 miles from the city. They save civilians and soldiers alike and often find themselves under artillery fire. "There is no place for fear when I'm at work,' she said.

Her team works on and off, for 24 hours straight, evacuating people out of dangerous areas and treating them as they transport them to safer cities, which can take anywhere between two to 10 hours, she told Insider.

"I find myself in dangerous situations quite often. We have to wear body armor and protective gear when we go close to the front lines," she told Insider. "I often hear shelling, I see missiles, I work as air alerts go off, I go in the direction of danger."

Tetiana admitted to sometimes feeling scared when she's driving to a location because she doesn't know what awaits her, especially when it involves children.

"But once I get there and I'm working with people, giving them treatment, soothing them, I'm only in work mode. It is inappropriate to be afraid in front of them, I have to be professional," she said.

The most common injuries she sees are concussions and blast injuries often as a result of people stepping on mines or from shelling. She told Insider that she once treated a girl who had her leg blown off after her home was shelled in a Russian attack in the city of Kramatorsk.

The girl had been panicking about losing her leg, and Tetiana had to calm her down. "I told her: 'One day we're going to dance together,'" Tetiana said. The girl had her operation and received an artificial limb several weeks later. She is now walking and has sent pictures to Tetiana.

"When I see people I have saved smile and speak to me, it makes me happy," the paramedic said.