---
title: "“He Made His Choice”: Benyuk, Skripka, and Kharchyshyn Spoke About Their Sons Who Stood Up to Defend Ukraine"
description: "Bohdan Benyuk, Oleg Skripka, Valeriy Kharchyshyn, and other Ukrainian artists shared how their sons stood up to defend the country: from defending a dissertation to serving in assault units."
date: 2026-09-17T14:44:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrainian-stars-sons-serve-in-afu-benyuk-skripka-kharchyshyn
tags: [ukraine-war, vsu, bogdan-benyuk, oleg-skripka, valeriy-kharchyshyn, celebrity-families]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# “He Made His Choice”: Benyuk, Skripka, and Kharchyshyn Spoke About Their Sons Who Stood Up to Defend Ukraine

![Beniuk, Skrypka and Kharchyshyn against the Ukrainian flag and soldiers — about sons defending Ukraine](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/18/deti-ukrainskikh-zvezd-sluzhat-v-vs-u-benyuk-skripka-harchishyn/deti-ukrainskikh-zvezd-sluzhat-v-vs-u-benyuk-skripka-harchishyn-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The son of actor Bohdan Benyuk, 27-year-old Bohdan-Hordi, defended his dissertation on September 4 and was already in Zaporizhzhia by the 8th, despite his wife's pregnancy.
- Oleg Skripka's 21-year-old eldest son Roman is serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine; his contract is expiring and he is preparing to return home.
- Valeriy Kharchyshyn's son, 27-year-old Dmytro, voluntarily joined the army on February 25, 2022, and works with explosives; he now trains others.
- The son of producer Ihor Kondratiuk, Serhiy, is serving in the 10th Assault Corps of the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade.
- The eldest son of the late TV presenter Ihor Pelykh, 23-year-old Ivan, chose military service after the start of the invasion.

The full-scale war has changed the fates of thousands of Ukrainian families, and the families of famous artists are no exception. In interviews with Ukrainian media outlets, Bohdan Benyuk, Oleg Skripka, Valeriy Kharchyshyn, Ihor Kondratiuk, and other public figures shared how their sons took up arms and began defending the country. These stories share one thing in common: grown men made independent decisions, and their fathers — performers known across the country — admit that they did not try to talk them out of it, but only support and worry for them.

### Bohdan Benyuk: His Son Defended His Dissertation, and Four Days Later He Was in Zaporizhzhia

Actor Bohdan Benyuk spoke in detail for the first time about the military service of his son Bohdan-Hordi, who was 27 years old at the time of mobilization. According to the artist, his son was pursuing postgraduate studies and defending a doctoral dissertation in philosophy: on September 4 he submitted his work, and by the 8th he was already in Zaporizhzhia. Notably, at the time of mobilization his son's wife was pregnant with their first child. Benyuk emphasized that he saw no point in trying to dissuade an adult: “He is making his choice. He had a pregnant wife, and he is going. What words can you find to say to an adult? But he is going and he is there. God willing, may he do his job for a long time and achieve victory.” Because of his service, the father rarely sees his granddaughter Yaryna, who, according to the actor, is a “spitting image” of her father, and regularly helps with the child.

### Oleg Skripka: His Eldest Son's Contract Is Expiring

Oleg Skripka, the frontman of the band “Vopli Vidopliasova,” announced that his 21-year-old eldest son Roman is serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The artist did not disclose his son's unit or position, but noted that his firstborn's military contract is soon coming to an end, so the young man is preparing to return home. Skripka also emphasized that his son already earns his own income and receives military payments: “My eldest son already earns on his own. He is serving, and he is receiving military payments. By the way, his contract is expiring, so he is already coming home.”

### Valeriy Kharchyshyn: His Philosopher Son Became a Demolition Expert

The son of Valeriy Kharchyshyn, the frontman of the band “Druha Ryka,” 27-year-old Dmytro, voluntarily joined the army back on February 25, 2022. Before that, he studied at the philosophy faculty and, according to his father, despised weapons and war. Now Dmytro works with the installation and disposal of explosives — work that Kharchyshyn calls extremely dangerous. The musician shared that his son's friend, who was mobilized on the same day, went to the Third Assault Brigade, while Dmytro stayed to “dig, lay mines, and then collect them,” and now he himself trains other soldiers. Kharchyshyn admits that he worries a lot about his son but tries not to interfere with his service.

### Ihor Kondratiuk and the Family of Ihor Pelykh: The War Touched Everyone

Producer Ihor Kondratiuk shared that his son Serhiy voluntarily went to the army and, after basic training, was sent to the 10th Assault Corps of the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade, although he had initially planned to get into a different unit. Kondratiuk noted that he spoke publicly about his son after Kozlovsky's remarks, which upset the young man, and emphasized: “In my opinion, it is normal when men who can hold a weapon fight. And what is there to talk about? That I am a good guy? No, he is the good guy.” The producer admitted that the war has already touched their family: one of their relatives died, some returned with injuries, and he added that danger threatens all Ukrainians regardless of whether they are at the front or at home. The article separately mentions the eldest son of the late TV presenter Ihor Pelykh, who died in a car accident in 2008, 23-year-old Ivan, who before the war was studying to become a director and, after the start of the invasion, chose military service.

All of these stories, told by the artists themselves, reflect a common trend: the children of Ukrainian stars, like thousands of other young people, have decided to defend their country, and their parents publicly confirm that they are proud of this choice and have no intention of changing it.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Benyuk, Skripka, and Kharchyshyn: The Children of Stars Who Stood Up to Defend Ukraine](https://styler.rbc.ua/ukr/people/benyuk-skripka-i-harchishin-diti-zirok-ki-1789655695.html) - Совпадает с основным текстом: детали о сыновьях Бенюка, Скрипки, Харчишина, Кондратюка и Пелыха.
- [Benyuk Spoke in Detail for the First Time About His Son's Service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine](https://www.unian.net/lite/stars/bogdan-benyuk-akter-rasskazal-o-mobilizacii-syna-13503048.html) - Подтверждает детали о мобилизации сына Бенюка (диссертация 4 сентября, Запорожье 8-го, 27 лет, беременная жена, внучка Ярына).

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: When did Bohdan Benyuk's son go to the army?
**A:** According to the actor, his son Bohdan-Hordi defended his dissertation on September 4 and was already in Zaporizhzhia by the 8th; he was 27 years old at the time.

### Q: Where is Oleg Skripka's son serving?
**A:** Oleg Skripka does not disclose the unit or position of his 21-year-old son Roman, but he reported that his contract is expiring and he is preparing to return home.

### Q: When did Valeriy Kharchyshyn's son join the army?
**A:** 27-year-old Dmytro voluntarily joined the army on February 25, 2022; before that, he was studying at the philosophy faculty.

### Q: Which unit is Ihor Kondratiuk's son serving in?
**A:** According to the producer, after basic training his son Serhiy was sent to the 10th Assault Corps of the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade.