Ihor L. Bondar

Ihor Leonidovych Bondar was born on March 21, 1991, in the city of Khmilnyk, Vinnytsia region. After graduating from Khmilnyk Secondary School No. 3, he received his education at the local Vocational Technical School No. 40, specializing in "Construction". After completing his mandatory military service in 2009, he entered the National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. In 2014, he graduated from the military institution and received a bachelor's degree in border protection and defense. That same year, he married a girl named Aliona, who became his faithful companion for life and shared all the hardships of military service with him. Ihor constantly cared about his professional development, so in 2017 he upgraded his qualifications at the Academy of Internal Affairs in the operational units program. In 2014, Ihor Bondar participated in combat operations in the ATO zone. He is a war veteran. He was awarded the Presidential Award of Ukraine "For Participation in the Anti-Terrorist Operation", the anniversary badge "20 Years of NADPSU", the badge "Excellent Border Guard", and the medal "20 Years of the State Border Service of Ukraine". He received commendations from the head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the Minister of Defense. He held the position of the head of the 2nd border post of the 1st border service department of the rapid response command of the 24th border detachment. "Ihor fully dedicated himself to military service, had a high sense of responsibility and justice. Friendly and humane, he always went to help in various situations. A smart, educated leader, he united like-minded people around him, which helped in solving the tasks at hand. Determined and far-sighted, he could have built a worthy military career," his colleagues noted. From the first days of the full-scale war, Captain Ihor Bondar took up the defense of the state and gave his most precious possession—his life. Combat comrades remember that on the front line, Ihor was seriously concerned about the safety of his subordinates. Without exaggeration, he protected and saved the lives of soldiers during difficult situations and deeply mourned combat losses. People trusted him and placed their hopes on him as their commander and mentor. Ihor Bondar was killed on August 10, 2022, as a result of a mine explosion during a battle with the enemy near the village of Pisky in Donetsk region. For a long time, Ihor Bondar was considered missing in action. Due to continuous shelling, his body could not be retrieved from the battlefield. Unfortunately, he has not been buried to this day. According to a court ruling, based on the testimonies of combat comrades, the death of the officer was officially recognized. "I felt safe with him, like behind a stone wall. We understood and felt each other well. Despite the fact that Ihor was quite busy and we didn't see each other often, we were always in touch—even if just with an emoji, he would let me know he was there. Many people think that long-distance relationships are doomed, but that wasn’t the case for us," recalls the hero's wife, Aliona Serhiivna. "Ihor was a good, loving husband and father. He loved his son very much. Whenever he had a moment, he dedicated a lot of attention to Tymur, spent joyful time with him, and never raised his voice at him for childish mischief. He cherished every moment spent with us." Ihor's wife, although she struggles with the loss, has not closed herself off in her grief. In memory of her beloved husband, she is engaged in volunteer activities. Recently, she purchased a vehicle and donated it to the military on the front lines. "The guys sincerely thanked me for the support," Mrs. Aliona notes. "Later, they called to inform me that thanks to the four-wheeled assistant, they managed to save the lives of 8 soldiers during a battle!" In addition, Aliona Serhiivna united the wives of other fallen heroes from her city for this noble cause. Thus, the women collectively help the army. The deceased is survived by his mother, wife, and son. For personal courage and heroism, Ihor Leonidovych Bondar was posthumously awarded the Order of "For Courage" of the 3rd class and was posthumously granted the military rank of "Major".