For the first time, the ongoing fighting in eastern Ukraine hit the center of Donetsk at noon Tuesday as several artillery shells intended for nearby rebel military facilities struck two residential areas.

About two dozen fighters for the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) rushed to examine the worst-hit area. At least one civilian was killed. The rebels appeared as shocked as others at the scene, yet remained silent. There was tension in the air.

After finishing our interview at one of the hit areas, we were driven past the entrance of a nearby military base occupied by the rebels - presumably the intended target of the shelling – when a fighter suddenly dashed out and pointed his gun at our car with his finger on the trigger.

The car stopped suddenly and my heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, he let us go after two cars drove out of the base.

That was just one of the close encounters with rebel forces I’ve had since setting foot in Donetsk.

While most of the rebel fighters usually avoid questions from reporters, one fighter we met at a checkpoint for the city’s airport on Monday murmured a story to us as he checked our press accreditation.

The fighter, who was in his 40s, carried an AK-47. His two gold teeth flashed as he spoke.

They had stopped a car to check a few days ago. A woman was driving and a young man was seated next to her. As fighters checked their documents, he noticed the woman was crying.

The fighters asked her why she was crying. She replied that her only son intended to join the rebels and she was afraid for his life. 

The guards assured her everything would be OK and her son is going to protect the region and the motherland. The mother stopped crying.

Though impossible to verify his story, fighter seemed pleased to have shared it as he waved us through, flashing his gold-toothed smile.

Not far from the checkpoint, we came across the most stringent security check in the city so far at a street barricade.

The barricade was very close to the airport, where fierce battle continues between the Ukrainian army and rebel fighters.

Ten fighters were guarding the barricade, with several more resting inside a nearby house.

As our car approached, five militants facing our direction took aim and asked us to get out of the car.

Usually we are only asked for our press accreditation from outside the vehicle.

But this time was quite different. Each of our bags were checked, as was the trunk. They even removed the back seats.

An officer in charge of the barricade carefully examined our press accreditation and checked our passports, page by page. He then asked whether we had visited other regions in Ukraine.

The man, who appeared to be in his 40s or 50s, looked very tough.

However once his interrogation was over, he once again caught us off guard – with an invitation to take pictures on the other side of the barricade.

As we walked ahead, the officer suddenly gestured to stop moving as other fighters viligantly watched an approaching minibus at the end of the street. They took aim. Tension was high and I found cover.

We only caught our breath again when the minibus turned down another street.

The officer then showed us fallen trees and electricity poles as well as a destroyed sedan, the aftermath of a recent clash, and asked us to take photos.

The red sedan was riddled with bullet holes and all its glass smashed.

According to the officer, two Ukrainian national guards seized the sedan from a local resident six days ago and used it to transport weapons, including machine guns.

Disguised as civilians, they drove about 20 meters from the barricade and started firing. The rebels fought back and finally captured the pair.

“Afterwards, two armored cars arrived to rescue them and to destroy the post. A tank also came and fired at the barricade, but they ultimately failed to take it,” said the officer.

The officer declined to reveal his personal information or comment on the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, but proudly told us that he hails from Sevastopol, Crimea.

The fighters shared how they have coffee and tea in the barricade, and often cook for themselves. Most of them were quite friendly, and shook hands with us before our departure.

I looked over at their makeshift structure and noticed shoulder-fired rockets laid on the ground nearby.

Our driver had told us that some of his friends, who used to be miners and taxi drivers, had joined the rebels with a desire to protect the region.

But he resisted to taking up weapons himself, admitting he doesn’t see a future for the DPR – or support the Ukrainian army.