'I’m not leaving until the hostages return': The story of Alexander Fedorenko, a soldier of boundless love and giving
There are people whose presence in a room is felt even before they say a word. For everyone who knew Alexander Fedorenko, that presence always came with a wide smile and an energy of endless generosity.
Staff Sgt. Alexander Fedorenko, a soldier in the Logistics Corps, was killed on January 11, 2025, at the age of 37. He left behind a loving family, friends who had become like brothers, and the legacy of a man who would “turn the world upside down” for others.
He was the son of Emilia and Vladimir and the brother of Natalie. Born on July 21, 1987, in the Soviet Union.
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From Moldova to Israel: A child of smiles and action
Alexander’s story began in Moldova, from where he immigrated to Israel with his parents when he was exactly four years old, on his birthday. His father Vladimir remembers his childhood fondly. “When he was little, what did he like to do? What little kids do,” he recalled. “When he grew older, he liked doing good things. He always had that smile.”
Over the years, that smile became his trademark, one that no hardship could erase. For his sister Natalie, who was born when he was 11, Alexander was much more than an older brother. “He was like a brother to everyone, not just to me,” she said. “He would always protect my friends and was always there for us if we were in trouble. He would truly turn the whole world upside down so that anyone beside him, anyone who asked him for something, would be satisfied. It wasn’t about trying to please people. It really came from the heart.”
The struggle to enlist: “He tried to turn the world upside down”
Alexander’s path to the army was not straightforward. As a teenager he went through difficult periods and was considered “a bit of a troubled kid.” At first the military did not want to enlist him, or wanted to draft him with a low medical profile. But Alexander, with the determination that defined him, refused to give up.
“He really did everything and tried to turn the whole world upside down to enlist,” his sister recalled. The fact that he enlisted only at age 20 reflected the strength of his determination. In the end he fulfilled his dream, serving in the Combat Engineering Corps and later continuing in career service, where he met the love of his life, Irina.
Love, family and deep friendship
Irina and Alexander met in 2009, after she had completed her military service while he was still serving in the army. “We fell in love very quickly,” Irina said painfully. “It was a very, very big love. Alex, as a husband, as a person, as a friend and as a father, was someone who wrapped you in care. He had good energy. He would walk into a room and everyone would notice him because he was very sociable.” Friendship was a supreme value for him. Yaakov Roshba, his close friend for the past 12 years, described a relationship that became familial. “We got married around the same time, the kids came around the same time with small gaps,” he said. “We became better and better friends, to the point that we are friends as families, with children and wives.” Roshba also emphasized that same constant smile. “No matter what you told him, Alex would first smile and turn around. Always a smile.”
The war and the mission: “They are like my children”
When the Iron Swords war broke out on October 7, Alexander did not hesitate for a moment. “He called me and I asked what was going on,” his father said. “He said: ‘Dad, don’t ask. I’m already in uniform. I’m heading south.’” Despite his wife’s concerns and the fact that he had young children at home, Alexander felt his place was on the front lines.
During the long months of reserve duty, when asked why he did not return home to rest, he answered Irina in words that captured his character as both a commander and a man. “I’m with young guys now, regular soldiers,” he told her. “I can’t go home. I have to be there for them. They’re like my children. I have to take care of them.” He also set for himself a clear and uncompromising goal. “I’m not leaving here until all the hostages return home.”
The farewell and the final promise
On his last Sunday, as he headed to base, his friend Yaakov said goodbye with an unusual sense of concern. “I told him, ‘Take care of yourself,’ which I usually wouldn’t say,” he recalled. “He said to me: ‘Don’t worry, Yaakov. On Saturday your son has a birthday. I’ll come with the kids.’” Alexander never made it to little Ron’s birthday.
On Saturday, when his father Vladimir saw helicopters in the sky, he felt the worst. Alexander had fallen, leaving behind a void that cannot be filled. “He is with me all the time” The longing is felt everywhere.
Irina misses their evenings together, the conversations in which he was always the first to know everything and the person who constantly pushed her forward. “He would tell me: ‘You need it? You want it? Go do it. I’m here for you for everything.’” His sister Natalie asks that people remember the openness, friendship and generosity that shone through his eyes. “I’m proud that he is my brother, and he is still my brother and will always remain my brother,” she said with certainty. His father summed it up with one great hope. “When the boys grow up, they will understand who their father was and what he did.”
Alexander Fedorenko was a man of people. A man who lived for others, who smiled through hardships and who fell out of a deep sense of duty toward “his children,” the young soldiers he protected. His memory will continue to accompany his family and loved ones, smiling and pushing them forward with every step they take.
May his memory be a blessing.
Staff Sergeant
Alexander Fedorenko