Leonid A. Dominiuk (Apostol)

Leonid Anatoliyovych Dominyuk (call sign Apostle) was born on October 13, 1963, in the city of Horlivka, Donetsk region. Leonid's parents worked as builders at the Horlivka Automobile Repair Plant. After completing 8 grades at secondary school No. 85, Leonid Anatoliyovych entered the Horlivka Industrial Technical School. During his studies at the technical school, he completed driving courses at "DTSAAF" and obtained a driver's qualification. He was a member of a creative team, played bass guitar, and was actively involved in sports. After graduating, Leonid Anatoliyovych received a diploma with honors in the specialty "Ground Electrician." The dream of becoming a military man had never left Leonid since childhood, so after finishing technical school, he entered the Kyiv Higher Tank Engineering School, which he also graduated with honors in 1988, successfully defending his diploma in technical disciplines. Having the right to choose his post-distribution, Leonid chose a career as a border guard. Lieutenant Leonid Dominyuk began his officer service on the "Roof of the World" — in a high-altitude border detachment in the Pamirs, in the village of Murghab (Tajikistan), immediately taking on the position of deputy commander of a motorized maneuver group in the technical unit. At that time, Leonid was already the head of a family, raising a 3-year-old daughter, Kateryna, with his wife, Viktoriya, whom he had known since school and married after the first year at the academy. After three years of service, Leonid Anatoliyovych transferred to Kazakhstan, where he served until 1992. In that same year, the family grew — a son, Oleksandr, was born. After Ukraine declared independence, Leonid Anatoliyovych returned to serve in his homeland at his own request. From 1993, he served in various positions in the Donetsk Border Detachment (city of Mariupol). In 2010, he was discharged from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, having accumulated 27 calendar years of military service. In civilian life, Leonid Anatoliyovych worked as the deputy director of the solid waste disposal company "Stimul" and as the shift commander of the security at the "Mariupol" airport. In 2014, war came to Ukraine… Leonid Anatoliyovych could not remain on the sidelines and voluntarily mobilized to his native Donetsk Border Detachment in February 2015, where he served until his heroic death... On February 24, 2022, Leonid Dominyuk and his comrades encountered the enemy at positions near the village of Novotroyitske. The occupiers pushed the Ukrainian military back to the city of Volnovakha, where they destroyed soldiers and civilians with mortar shelling, Grad rockets, and artillery. The anti-tank border post and the 3rd border post of the rapid response border command "Novotroyitske" were carrying out a combat mission to cover the approaches near the railway hospital. For three days, the overwhelming forces of the Russian Federation struck the positions of the border guards. On March 7, 2022, Russian troops attempted a breakthrough deep into the city, striking from two directions while simultaneously flanking the units of the border command. Maneuvering in combat formations, the border guards managed to force the aggressor to retreat. After an unsuccessful attempt to encircle our positions, the enemy suffered significant losses in personnel and equipment, and the Russian Federation's forces changed their tactics and resorted to using reconnaissance and sabotage groups. The enemy continued to try to advance under the cover of artillery and tanks. The border guards, using UAVs, in cooperation with the artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, inflicted fire damage on the enemy's units, destroying a Ural vehicle with ammunition. Leonid Dominyuk's unit held the flanks along Sportivna Street in Volnovakha under heavy enemy fire. Leonid Anatoliyovych led the personnel to positions, determining a place for cover, and locked the group himself, not having time to hide. As a result of a devastating artillery barrage, the border guard sustained serious shrapnel wounds but maintained radio communication with the commander of the rapid response border command throughout. His last words on the radio were: "Apostle – 300. Tell my wife and children that I love them." The intense artillery fire prevented the evacuation of the wounded for a long time. Due to blood loss from his wounds, Leonid Anatoliyovych died. A brief pause in the shelling allowed the border guards to retrieve the body of the fallen soldier. Leonid Dominyuk was buried on March 25, 2022, in the Glory Alley of the Krasnopil Cemetery in Dnipro. Leonid Anatoliyovych Dominyuk, through his personal example of resilience and steadfastness, and calmness in decision-making, inspired the subordinate personnel to carry out combat missions. He treated the younger generation with paternal care, serving as a mentor and teacher. He is remembered as always smiling, calm, and balanced, a true patriot of his country, and a person who sincerely believes in God. Leonid Dominyuk is survived by his wife, daughter, son, and two granddaughters. For his impeccable service, he was repeatedly awarded departmental awards and certificates from the head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, and for his selflessness and activity in the church, he was awarded an honorary medal and a blessing certificate by the Metropolitan of Kyiv and all Ukraine, Epiphanius. For personal courage and dedication demonstrated in the defense of Ukraine's state sovereignty and territorial integrity, Colonel Leonid Anatoliyovych Dominyuk was posthumously awarded the Order of "For Courage" of the III degree.