Fedir Moskalenko joined the UKRNAFTA team in 2021. He worked as a gas station operator, but the following year his life, like the lives of thousands of Ukrainians, was abruptly changed by the full-scale war. In 2022, he volunteered to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Fedir explains his decision to enlist as an inner calling, patriotism and a sense of responsibility for his loved ones — his family, his children and his brother, who also joined the military. Before the full-scale war, he had already completed compulsory military service, undergone training in the ATO zone and served in the Territorial Defence Forces, where he acted as a commander.
After mobilisation, Fedir was assigned to the Separate Presidential Brigade named after Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytskyi. As part of the brigade, he performed various tasks — from guarding the government quarter to taking part directly in combat operations as an infantryman. From May 2022 to September 2023, he served in Donetsk region, including near Avdiivka and Krasnohorivka.
The first combat missions were a serious test for Fedir. When moving into new positions, the soldiers did not yet have a clear understanding of the terrain or the fortifications.
“The first time we came under fire, we moved into the positions and did not know where anything was. We started looking for a dugout and only later found out that four enemy soldiers had spent the night in it with us,” Fedir recalls.
According to him, moments like that brought a huge rush of adrenaline, and decisions had to be made quickly and in coordination with others. It was those first missions that gave him a real understanding of the conditions of service and of how important teamwork within the unit was.
Support between comrades remained an essential part of life at the front. Everyday tasks had to be carried out under constant shelling and surveillance by enemy drones.
“We were close-knit and supported one another. Whenever possible, some of us would work on trenches and dugouts while others rested. We had to provide ourselves with food — no one is going to bring it to the zero line, so we went for supplies under shelling,” he says.
Among Fedir’s most vivid memories are not only combat episodes, but also particular scenes that have stayed with him forever.
“Some of the strongest memories are connected with the landscapes. I will remember this picture for the rest of my life: we are returning from duty, and there is nothing around us. The shelter belt has burned to the ground. Dawn. The coke plant is bathed in the first rays of the sun. We had to walk five or six kilometres, so there was plenty of time to take in the view. And underfoot there was a path, with fragments everywhere on both sides, so every step required special attention,” he adds.
After returning to civilian life, Fedir took a month’s leave to process what he had been through and gradually regain his strength. Later, he returned to work at UKRNAFTA.
“We stayed in touch during my service, so my colleagues welcomed me back warmly,” the veteran says.
The experience of war does not disappear without a trace and sometimes returns in his dreams. At the same time, the discipline and team spirit gained during military service now help Fedir in his work.
He also notes the company’s support: continued salary payments during his service, a message of thanks after his return, financial assistance and participation in meetings held as part of the “Side by side” programme.
“I am grateful to the company for its support,” Fedir concludes.
