Олег Онопрієнко Історії 16 April 2025, 09:00

Survive and work: how IT specialists survive in regions with constant danger

The terrorist country daily demonstrates its readiness for a ceasefire by increasing the intensity of strikes with "calibers", "shaheeds", "kabs" on Ukrainian cities that are closest to the line of combat contact. Since the beginning of April alone, the Russian army has already used almost 2,800 air bombs, more than 1,400 strike drones, as well as about 60 missiles of various types, including ballistics. dev.ua talked to representatives of the IT community who are in the zone of increased danger about how they react to the next barbaric attacks of the enemy and how they work in constant tension with a target on their backs.

Sumy

Northern Ukraine is one of the priority targets of the enemy army, since here the Defense Forces not only restrain the advance of the aggressor troops, but also carry out offensive operations on the enemy's territory. Sumy region became the main bridgehead for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in conducting the Kursk operation. In one of the last massive attacks on the city on April 13, the enemy treacherously struck with two Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles. As a result of this terrorist act on Palm Sunday, 129 people were injured, 34 of whom died.

Sumy is home to software development and IT consulting company MindK, which helps businesses create software products. According to MindK CEO Oleg Nesterov, about 15% of the company’s employees are currently in Sumy. The rest left for other cities or abroad during the war. Of those who remained in Sumy, about half of them visit the office, which is about 5-7 people per month. The business center where the team works has a basement that employees use as a bomb shelter in case of danger of shelling.

"We need to understand the specifics of Sumy. Alarms last for several hours, with short pauses. Consider that the alarm lasts around the clock. People were forced to get used to living in such conditions and, accordingly, to working. Each employee can go down to the shelter as they see fit, people's safety is the most important thing. In practice, most people continue to work during alarms and go down to the shelter if there is a ballistic threat," Mr. Oleg Nesterov told dev.ua

MindK employees, for whom the constant stress became unbearable, left Sumy, the rest adapted to life in constant threat. "Everyone has a different stress threshold. The people who stayed in Sumy are titans. Of course, the attacks affect morale, but we have not yet had any cases where someone stopped working because of it," added the MindK CEO.

When asked whether MindK plans to relocate to safer cities if the intensity of shelling continues to increase, Oleg Nesterov replied that employees will act according to the circumstances and experience gained. “In the fourth year of the war, people had enough time to make decisions for themselves and their loved ones whether to stay or leave. The employees who remained are unlikely to leave if the intensity of shelling increases, because believe me: 2-3 explosions a day is already quite a serious intensity,” Nesterov noted.

In addition to constant air attacks, enemy forces have become more active in the Sumy region. These actions may indicate possible preparations for a spring offensive, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the French publication Le Figaro. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, confirms the activation of Russian forces, according to him, the enemy's goal is to create a buffer zone in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. MindK has a plan in case of such a situation.

"Regarding the border breach: most people have their own vehicles, and if they evacuate, they will do it on their own, because each employee has a family and relatives. For those who do not have the opportunity to do it on their own, evacuation will be organized if necessary," Oleg Nesterov said.

Kharkiv

Like Sumy Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast borders several regions of the aggressor country, and the city of Kharkiv is located only 60 km from the Russian city of Belgorod, where the Defense Forces are currently conducting operations to deter the enemy.

In Kharkiv, P2H IT company employs about a hundred employees, of whom 10% regularly visit the office - the rest collaborate with the company remotely. For employees who work from the office, the company has equipped the basement floor - with workplaces, meeting rooms, recreation areas and a separate space for meals.

“The space is well insulated and designed so that our specialists do not break away from project activities even during periods of air alarm. Since the office is located below ground level, in the event of an alarm, the team can remain in place. There have been situations when alarms were accompanied by real threats - then colleagues temporarily moved to the most protected part of the room, which has capital walls and a remote location. This allows us to maintain calm and concentration even in difficult conditions. We remain in the office until the alarm is over,” said P2H communications officer Olga Negodova.

According to Olga Negodova, the team's morale is maintained thanks to the team's confidence in the reliability of the shelter. "During periods of more intense attacks, colleagues gather in one room where they can communicate - this adds to the feeling of unity," added Olga.

Artem Zhdanov, Development Manager at FAVBET Tech, shared his experience. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he lived in Pivtsyncha Saltivka, which was under constant shelling from Russian MLRS. Only in the spring of 2023, when the city became calmer, did Artem return to the city. During this period, the intensity of the shelling varied, but Artem notes that it has increased since last month and he does not remember the last time such a large number of drones were used.

According to the developer, previously the attacks had a clear time window — from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM and he had already adapted to this rhythm, but now the situation has become more unpredictable. In general, the biggest drawback for Artem due to the attacks is the lack of sleep, but this happens extremely rarely and has almost no effect on his work activities.

I liked going to the office. I miss the office.

"I used to try to come to the office more often, now it's completely remote work. To change the situation, you have to invent something, for example, move the table from one room to another, work on the couch sometimes. That is, not sit, roughly speaking, within four walls, but make it seem like you're going somewhere, moving around somehow, as it was before. I liked going to the office. I miss the office," Development Manager FAVBET Tech shared his experiences.

Aitivets notes that if the situation at the beginning of a full-scale invasion repeats itself, with rocket artillery shelling of the city, this will become a key factor for him to leave the city.

"Due to the artillery shelling, there was no communication, no light, no connection. If this happens again, it will be a reason to leave," Artem added.

Odesa

Despite the declared ceasefire at sea and in the air, the Russians continue to terrorize Odessa, understanding the importance of the port city for the Ukrainian economy. As a result of the March 3 attack on the city's infrastructure, almost 122 tons of carbon dioxide were released into the air due to damage, and three people were injured. Despite the constant shelling, Odessa-AIT residents continue to work and visit the office.

“We have a flexible work format for everyone. Employees can choose to work remotely or in the office. Usually, up to 5 people can be found there, which is about 3% of the total number of employees. We have a shelter on the ground floor of the office. The space is large and comfortable, and the Netpeak Group has provided it with water and food supplies in case of emergencies. The safety of our team is a priority for us,” said Vladislav Naumov, operations director of the Inweb digital marketing agency.

In general, Inweb provided office workers with all the conditions to continue working from shelter: full-fledged offices, a powerful generator that allows them to work without interruption even during a power outage.

Inweb said that the company did not change its location due to the possibility of working remotely, although they note that the situation affects the morale of employees. "Of course, this causes some stress, as it does for all Ukrainians. It is important that people feel support for each other. We actively monitor the morale of the team, provide opportunities to rest if necessary, and create conditions for maintaining a positive attitude even in difficult situations," added Vladislav Naumov.

Kryvyi Rih

Thursday, April 4, was a tragic day not only for the residents of Kryvyi Rih, but also for all Ukrainians. The enemy used an Iskander-M ballistic missile, which hit a residential area with a playground. Currently, 20 people are known to have died, including 9 children, and 16 more people are in serious condition. Ukraine has called an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council, and French President Emmanuel Macron wrote a post in Ukrainian, clearly accusing Russia of this barbaric attack on the civilian population.

The Kryvyi Rih IT consulting company LivaRava said that half of its employees were forcibly evacuated, so 50% of the team is currently in Kryvyi Rih, and some employees have left and are now working from abroad.

"We have a shelter for employees who work in the office. Of course, during an air raid, we go to the shelter, and the business process is interrupted. Due to the attacks, we had to change the location, choosing a location further away from potential hit points," LivaRava said.

Artem Karyavka, CEO of LivaRava, noted that the team's morale has deteriorated and new skills and habits have had to be mastered to quickly adapt to the current situation. "Regular attacks definitely worsen the company's productivity and efficiency," Artem Karyavka states, "we adapt business processes and communication in accordance with the challenges," the company's CEO added.

Dnipro

During the attack on the Dnipro on Thursday, April 10, a dev.ua journalist was talking to Team Lead FAVBET Tech Serhiy Horoshko, who, despite the danger and constant shelling, remains in his hometown. Serhiy said that his productivity gradually decreased significantly.

"It has become difficult to live. You get exhausted faster and it is more difficult to restore strength. In this case, water sharpens stone and you have to make efforts to function normally," said Serhiy.

To distract oneself from troubles and keep oneself in good shape, IT professionals can follow a regimen, take walks in the fresh air, concentrate on work, and monitor their health.

"I began to take more care of my health: visiting doctors, taking vitamins. I do not take sedatives or antidepressants, only vitamins B, D for better sleep and well-being. It helps a lot to stick to a daily regimen and do sports. I was recently in Bukovel, and before that in Dragobrat, for the first time in a long time I did my favorite hobby - snowboarding. It really helps to switch and morally recover. I walk, go out for coffee with friends," added Goroshko.

Serhiy is not going to delay relocating to a safer place in Ukraine in the event of a serious threat of occupation of the city.

If there was a serious threat of occupation, I would move.

"I've been thinking about moving ever since the beginning of the Great War, especially when the Russians launch new attacks. And then there's this tradeoff: I feel like I'm losing my life. This is one of the reasons I'm considering moving to another Ukrainian city.

"The second reason that would force me to leave is the occupation, I wouldn't be able to survive then," the AIT resident concluded.

Kyiv

Despite the fact that the capital of Ukraine is relatively safe compared to other frontline cities, the Russian Federation carried out a new ballistic attack, which killed one person and damaged a business center in one of the city's districts.

Constant drone and missile attacks have forced FAVBET Tech to restructure its HR management policy, which is aimed at supporting employees. In particular, the company actively employs People Partners, who help identify signs of burnout in a timely manner and offer individual solutions - from unplanned vacations to other forms of assistance.

“The office has become a center of invincibility for employees. We have achieved almost complete autonomy: there is hot water, backup generators, constant internet. In the event of an air alarm, employees can work safely in a large room on the ground floor. Today, every employee has medical insurance, receives compensation for training, and can also attend leading professional events and conferences,” FAVBET Tech CEO Artem Skrypnyk told dev.ua.

The company emphasized that the experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic helped to rebuild business processes more quickly during a full-scale invasion, as many employees had to be evacuated to other cities and switched to remote work.

How to improve the situation?

Oleg Nesterov believes that it is necessary to have more means of destroying air targets, as well as to increase the number of mobile fire groups to counter the "shaheeds." The importance of this decision is shared by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, who in his address instructed the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to intensify contacts with partners regarding air defense.

Inweb emphasizes the importance of business responsibility for the security situation in companies. "Everything that could be done to protect businesses and people is already being done. However, it is important that everyone is aware of their responsibility for themselves and their colleagues. We focus on safety, supporting each other and making the most of all available resources for normal work," Inweb noted.

FAVBET Tech focuses on the information and training aspect of its employees. "To better protect the business and people, it is necessary to implement a comprehensive approach that includes informing about security rules if employees work remotely, as well as conducting security and first aid training, protecting information systems from cyber threats, providing access to psychological support and creating an atmosphere of trust in the team, as well as regular support for the HR team," FAVBET Tech said.

According to Artem Karyavka, it is worth adopting the experience of other countries, for example, Israel, where every house has special shelters designed to protect against such attacks. "I am sure that Ukraine needs to move in this direction. If there were public bomb shelters before, now the vector of personal shelters is more optimal," said the CEO of LivaRava.

But LivaRava has an even more universal recipe that is shared by the entire population of Ukraine — "We need to give Putin a #f**k."

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