During the occupation, the Trostianets emergency medical service substation worked to the limit of its capabilities. The Russians set up a checkpoint near the ambulance and deployed tanks nearby. Vitaliy Hvozdik, a paramedic, tells how they escorted evacuation corridors and worked under fire. And when they could no longer move in special vehicles, they went on foot to respond to calls.

Once, Vitaliy almost died while rushing to a patient. On March 12, 2022, the occupiers looted the ambulance substation, stole medicines and equipment, and stole cars. Vitaliy did not separate his work and home during the occupation, and tried to help in any way he could. One of his worst memories is the shelling of the neighborhood where the paramedic lived.