This Ukranian connection is made possible by the federal government’s streamlined immigration process “Uniting for Ukraine,” which was intended to provide lifelines to those fleeing the conflict. So far, around 25 Ukrainians have been brought to the Bakken oilfields, with 10 of them living in Minot and working for local companies SandPro of Berthold and NewKota Services of Minot. While Josh Blackaby, SandPro co-owner and vice president, had some apprehensions, he said the results have far exceeded his expectations.

“We’ve been fortunate with the six we got. Branco Brothers out of Dickinson have got five or six. NewKota has four. It’s standard across the board, their work ethic is right there.” Blackaby said, “No oil and gas experience, but they fit right in with the guys. It’s been a breath of fresh air because they pass drug tests, they show up for work. They don’t mind working shift work. They just want to put work in.”

Most of the SandPro Ukrainians were already members of the global workforce taking jobs as fishermen and seamen in Alaska. When the Russian invasion of Ukraine commenced in early 2022, whether they were abroad or back home, they all had a difficult choice to make.

“At the start of the war, I stayed in Ukraine and helped my country. I stayed for two years.” Odessa native Dmytro Tupytsia said. “In Ukraine there is some good work, but finding it is not easy. I must come here.”

Charles Crane/MDN Oleksii Ustich, Oleg Postolatii, Andrii Navrotskyi and Dmytro Tupytsia are amongst 25 Ukranian workers brought to the Bakken oilfields by Bakken GROW, a humanitarian program that recruits skilled workers from overseas.

While some like Andrii Navrotskyi desired nothing more than to stay in Ukraine and fight, health issues prevented him from being able to join the army. Navrotskyi worked odd jobs for a time in his native country, but the responsibilities of providing for his family and fulfilling his patriotic duty ultimately motivated him to seek employment abroad.

“My family said if you won’t say here, maybe go work in another country. Here I can do more to support Ukraine than if I stayed in Ukraine. I couldn’t help our military guys, but now I am here and I can send money.” Navrotskyi said, “I like the work here. Now I can support my family and support Ukraine.”

The Ukranian workers at SandPro are expected to attain a fluency in English in addition to learning the ins and outs of the job. The crew has been limited to working out of the SandPro shop for the time being.

“It’s a new experience for us. We must know everything better. We need more English if we want to go out in the field.” Tupytsia said, “For us it’s hard, because everything is new. We teach work. We teach language. Our families are in a different place. All the time, I’m thinking about my family. All the time I’m thinking about work. It’s a lot.”

The SandPro crew initially lived out of hotels but have since moved into apartments near Dakota Square Mall. In their free time they like to go shopping and swimming and hold the occasional barbecue, but in the end the mental and physical toll of the job typically sends them to bed early. Getting established in the United States hasn’t come without difficulty, but the group credits the team at SandPro for helping them clear the various bureaucratic hoops required to get driver’s licenses and apartment leases.

The group’s families remain abroad, either in Ukraine or elsewhere in Europe in countries like Poland. The men remain hopeful that arraignments can be made in the future to bring their families to the United States as well.

“My wife and children may come here.” Oleksii Khrebtan said. “I have no other relatives. I have only my wife and children. I call my wife every day. I have five children. The decision to leave Ukraine was very hard.”