Roman Hryhorovych Bondarenko was born on September 18, 1976, in the village of Rozdollia, Pevromaiskyi District, Kharkiv Oblast. He was raised by his parents, Hryhorii and Halyna Bondarenko, and from birth lived with them in the village of Vesele, Pevromaiskyi District.

In 1993, Roman graduated from Biliaivka Secondary School after completing 11th grade. He settled with his family in the village of Biliaivka, where he trained to obtain a driving license and began working on the railway. Over 26 years, he mastered various roles such as trackman, signalman, crossing attendant, and stoker.

From 2015 to 2018, Roman studied at the Kremenchuk College of Transport Infrastructure, specializing in the maintenance and repair of railway structures and track facilities. He was a dedicated worker and a respected role model among his colleagues, always willing to take on any task.

Roman’s lifelong passion was football, a love he inherited from his father. Since childhood, he played and followed the sport avidly. In school, he played as a right defender in the district tournaments representing the village of Zakutnivka. Despite suffering numerous injuries—from dislocations and strains to bruises and stitches—he never missed a match. After the formation of the Biliaivka community, Roman played for one of its teams in the Lozivskyi District Championship, as well as for the railway football team in sporting events.

When the full-scale Russian invasion began on February 27, 2022, Roman immediately volunteered to defend Ukraine. After working a night shift at the railway crossing, he went to the military enlistment office and joined his unit. Serving as a shooter in the second shooting division of the first platoon, second company of the 113th Territorial Defense Brigade, Roman defended his home, family, freedom, and the sovereignty of Ukraine.

Throughout nearly a year and a half of service, Roman served at various locations, including checkpoints in his district, Izyum, villages near Kupiansk, and later the Donetsk region. He shared his civilian skills, teaching fellow soldiers how to dig trenches using tools he was familiar with from railway work. Despite heavy equipment, harsh conditions, and old football injuries that affected his legs, Roman never complained and always followed commanders’ orders. He was among the first to volunteer for combat missions and maintained a positive spirit, reassuring his comrades and providing psychological support during difficult times. His peers deeply respected him, trusted his advice, and relied on him for cover in any situation.

On May 3, 2023, Roman Hryhorovych Bondarenko died while performing a combat mission near the village of Hryhorivka in the Bakhmut district of Donetsk region. He was buried in the village cemetery of Vesele, Lozivskyi district, Kharkiv Oblast.

Roman was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage” III degree.