The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
Bohdan Petrenko joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the first weeks of the full-scale invasion. His decision was not driven by an order or a mobilization notice, but by a deeply personal turning point that he witnessed with his own eyes.
On the air of Army FM, press officer of the 48th Artillery Brigade Bohdan Petrenko spoke about his service, the tasks performed by the brigade, and recruitment.
“I joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces in March 2022. In the first days of the full-scale war, it was more of a panicked feeling, to be honest. It was unclear what to do; no one really understood.
I was evacuating my family. And then there was a moment when everything changed: I was driving to Bucha to pick up my brother’s family. It was February 25.
And I saw a young guy who was about the same age as my daughter. He looked around 19 and was carrying a huge machine gun. I just saw it — and tears started running down my face.
I realized that my place was here, in the army. Because everyone must defend — not only our children, but us as well”, — Bohdan Petrenko recalls.
What followed was a path into the military — difficult and not always straightforward. Despite having no prior conscript service, Bohdan persistently sought an opportunity to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine until he was finally accepted.
“For a long time, military enlistment offices wouldn’t reinstate me because I hadn’t served in the army, even though I had completed a military department at university. Until March, they kept brushing me off, saying: ‘Go home, we have enough people’.
But in March, I was finally accepted. I became a platoon commander in the infantry. After three weeks of training, we were immediately sent to the zero line. That’s how combat experience was essentially formed”, — Bohdan Petrenko recalls.
Later, the officer tried to change his field of service, but the realities of war left little room for choice. At the same time, today the situation has changed — the Ukrainian military is gradually transitioning to a systematic recruitment model.
“About a year and a half later, I came to the enlistment office and said that I wanted to be a press officer because I had relevant experience — I had worked in a press service and as a journalist. They said, ‘Yes, fine’, looked at my documents — and I was sent back as a platoon commander again.
I mention this because now people have options. There is recruitment. A person can come and say, ‘I want to be a driver’, and become a driver. At the beginning of the war, you simply went according to the specialty written in your military ID”, — Bohdan adds.
Today, Bohdan serves as part of an artillery unit carrying out combat missions in the Kharkiv region.
“At present, there are no mechanized assaults by the enemy. This is facilitated by the terrain and the presence of rivers. The Russians are unable to build crossings — we don’t allow it. All of them are destroyed, including by artillery.
There is also no full-scale logistical supply. The gray zone is expanding, which an assault soldier has to cross on foot, carrying equipment and food. And, obviously, he also has to survive during that time”, — the press officer explains.
In conclusion, Bohdan speaks about the brigade’s needs and opportunities for those who want to join the military.
“Everyone thinks that artillery units only need artillerymen, but that’s not true. We are a brigade that continues to be formed, so we need virtually all specialties. Gun commanders, gunners, riggers — everything related to artillery.
We also need logistics specialists, drivers, cooks. This includes ammunition delivery, food supply, and rear-area work. In addition, our unmanned component is actively developing — both aerial and ground-based. We need UAV operators and technicians who can service them”, — Bohdan Petrenko said.
