Journalist, communication manager, and warrior Oleksandr Bondarenko was killed in battle with Russian occupiers on April 22, 2023. This tragic event occurred in the village of Dibrova near Kreminna in the Luhansk region.
Bondarenko had been a steadfast defender of Ukraine since the outset of the full-scale war. His comrades in arms attest that his foremost aspiration was to liberate his native Luhansk region and do everything in his power to ensure his son would not need to take up arms in the future.
Born and raised in Luhansk, Bondarenko spent his formative years there and embarked on his career as a journalist. During his studies at Luhansk National University, Oleksandr exhibited a proactive stance, championing students' rights and engaging in self-governance. He also initiated journalistic and poetry competitions for authors writing in Ukrainian.
"If Oleksandr considered something right, he committed to taking it on, no matter how difficult, risky, or unpopular it may be", reminisced his friend Volodymyr.
In the early 2000s, Bondarenko relocated to Kyiv and plied his trade in various media outlets, including Hromadske Radio, Pershyi Nezalezhnyi TV channel, Ukraine TV channel, ICTV, and the Ukrainian service of the BBC. In due course, he became a renowned journalist.
In 2015, Oleksandr transitioned from journalism to a new phase in his career in political communications. He pursued studies in marketing and collaborated with the PlusOne company, which subsequently established the RMA agency for strategic communications and reputation management. Within this agency, Bondarenko led the special projects department.
As the full-scale invasion commenced, he enlisted in the 112th brigade of the Kyiv Territorial Defense Forces. Initially, he defended the Kyiv region and later took part in the liberation of the Kharkiv region, engaging in battles in the Luhansk region.
Valerii Reshetar, a fellow combatant and friend of Bondarenko, lauded his exceptional skills in grenade throwing and RPG-7 operation during combat training. Consequently, he was designated as a grenade launcher operator. Oleksandr's call sign was "Bond," and he always marked his belongings with the number 007.
"Upon returning from Oleksandr's funeral, my fellow combatant and I noticed this very car number on our taxi," Valerii reminisced.
Oleksandr Bondarenko was 45 years old and leaves behind a son.
