On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a speech to the Storting. Among other things, he asked Norway to send more weapons to the Ukrainian people.
Zelensky has on a number of occasions spoken for large assemblies during the Ukraine war, including the EU Congress, the US Congress and now also the Storting.
– Shocks the Russians
Through the speech, the president drew several comparisons between Norway and Ukraine, and highlighted the close neighborhood the two countries have had throughout history.
The President specifically mentioned how Ukrainian forces were involved in the liberation of Norway.
– The first soldier to liberate Norway in 1944 was Ukrainian, Zelenskyj pointed out.
– War hero
Thanks to the help of historian Rune Rautio, Dagbladet can tell that the soldier Zelenskyj talked about was Fjedor Grigorievich Kompanejets, who was a sergeant and company commander in the 8th company of the 253rd Infantry Regiment.
According to Rautio, who has done his research in the archives of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Kompanejets was born on August 3, 1918 in Sumy county in Ukraine, in the village of Mefodovoka, which is now the district of Seredino Budsky. He was enlisted in the Red Army in Klisjitski.
– Kompanejets thus led his company among the first to enter Norway over Jarfjordfjellet, and he was also among the very first to take Kirkenes on the morning of October 25, 1944 when the company was transported across Bøkfjorden by amphibious vehicle, and during the crossing gave effective fire support with automatic weapons for the other parts of the regiment during the crossing of the fjord, Rautio explains.
WAR HERO: The Ukrainian soldier Fyodor Grigoryevich Company.
view more
But he points out that the information from Zelenskyj’s speech was not entirely accurate.
– Kompanejets was decorated as one of the first, perhaps the first, to move into Kirkenes – but not as the first to cross the border into Norway, writes Rautio. He explains that it was hardly registered when the border crossing took place on a wide front.
– There were over 100,000 Russian soldiers who crossed the border and they were divided into five different army bodies. Three of them went into Norway, but on a very broad front, he further explains.
In a reader post from November 2021, which was published in iFinnmark.noPer-Kaare Holdal has told the story of Fedir Kompaniyets, who is said to be one of the first Ukrainian soldiers to enter Kirkenes.
Dagbladet has been in contact with Holdal, who refers to his post. There he writes that the Ukrainian soldier was a hero and that he contributed greatly to the liberation of Norway.
In 1939 he was enlisted in the Red Army and participated at the front line from June 1941, Holdal writes in his reader post.
view more
–
Decorated
Kompanejets received the highest military award of the Soviet Union for his efforts during the attack on Kikenes – Hero of the Soviet Union. He was nominated for the award on January 29, 1945 and was decorated on March 24, 1945, according to Rautio.
DECORATED: This is a copy of the award document for the decoration Kompanejets received as a Hero of the Soviet Union.
view more
In the letter, where he was awarded the title, there was a description of the feat they performed:
«At night, team leader senior sergeant Kompaniyets`, together with his squad, was the first to cross the Bøkfjord, which is over 200 meters long. Despite heavy fire from bombers and rifles, they quickly crossed the fjord without loss by succeeding in maneuvering in a small boat by using the users of the blown bridge as cover.
He, along with his troop, jumped ashore and provided cover fire while Battalion 253. crossed the bay on amphibians. He eliminated small groups of enemies by shooting, advanced quickly and was the first with his troop, which entered Kirkenes. Kirkenes thus became the first city in Norway to be liberated with the Ukrainian hero in the lead role. “
In the reader’s post, Holdal claims that Kompaniyets received neither honor nor thanks from the Norwegian authorities for his efforts.
–
