The All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Defenders of Ukraine unites people with different life experiences, professions, and destinies. However, we are all united by what matters most — a common struggle, mutual support, and devotion to Ukraine.

The next hero of our regular column “The Face of the Trade Union” is Pavlo Fediuk, a member of the Lviv Regional Organization of the Trade Union and a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war. He was born and raised in Lviv in a family of entrepreneurs. Pavlo studied at Local School No. 76 named after Vasyl Stus. From the age of 15, he actively participated in nationalist organizations and consciously prepared himself for the struggle for Ukrainian identity.

Pavlo received his call sign “Bomber” more than 15 years ago during his time in the football ultras movement of FC Karpaty. Back then, he often wore a bomber jacket, and his friends jokingly nicknamed him after his favorite piece of clothing.

Pavlo received his baptism by fire in 2014 while studying in his first year at the Faculty of Journalism of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. At that time, he was only 19 years old.
“I was wounded on the Maidan in Kyiv. Nothing too serious — shrapnel and a concussion from stun grenades. At the time, I was a first-year student. I came home, and my mother saw blood on my pants. She knew I had gone to the Maidan, but I kept assuring her that we weren’t getting involved in anything — just standing there with flashlights. In reality, we were almost in the front rows,” the veteran recalls with a smile.

In 2013, after graduating from the Heroes of Kruty Military Lyceum, Pavlo decided that he would have nothing to do with war. However, fate decided otherwise. On July 1, 2014, he joined the ranks of “Azov,” where together with fellow countrymen he formed the “Halychyna Platoon” and served until the end of the year.

Later, Pavlo took part in the battles for the settlement of Pisky near Donetsk Airport as part of the OUN Battalion under the command of Mykola Kokhanivskyi. The core of the unit consisted of activists from the Maidan self-defense unit of the same name. Pavlo also participated in the battles for Avdiivka and in holding positions near Yasynuvata as part of the 1st Separate Assault Company “Da Vinci” (now a regiment) in the spring of 2017. Between periods of service, he was engaged in civic activities and worked as a combat training instructor in the Sambir district.

The full-scale invasion caught Pavlo while he was at work.
“I had just started a new job, and life was beginning to return to a civilian routine. But on February 20, friends from ‘Azov’ called me and urged me to go to Kyiv to defend the capital. Honestly, I didn’t really want to go: everyone from Kyiv was heading to Lviv, while we were doing the opposite — going to Kyiv to fight. It seemed a bit paradoxical,” the veteran recalls.

In the night of February 24, he was awakened by a call with a brief message: “It has started.” After gathering his belongings and his comrades and waiting for morning, Pavlo headed to Volyn, where a possible offensive from Belarusian territory was expected.
Later, there were battles for Kyiv region, the Zaporizhzhia direction (Orikhiv, Huliaipole, Verbove, Robotyne), as well as the left bank of Kherson region. During the hostilities, Pavlo commanded first an assault group and later an anti-tank unit. He operated the Mk 19, an American automatic grenade launcher, providing cover for infantry.

Today, Pavlo Fediuk runs his own business — an online comic book store — and is also engaged in public activities. He heads the Lviv branch of the NGO “Northern Division,” created on the initiative of the musical group “Nord Division,” whose members are special forces personnel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
“These guys have their own audience. They decided to channel it in the right direction and created a youth organization. Through mutual acquaintances, I was offered to work with young people: to teach tactical medicine, weapons handling, and other essential skills. I also invite veterans who share their experience — from explosive ordnance knowledge to operating FPV drones. We also organize sports events,” he says.
According to Pavlo, the participants include students from Lviv universities and high school students, many of whom are children of military personnel or fallen defenders.

When asked about his dreams, Pavlo answers simply and confidently:
“I don’t dream of anything. I live by the principle that what is a dream for someone else is motivation for me. Of course, I want a strong family and a strong Ukraine. And for me, the Trade Union is about brotherhood and support.”