Oleksandr Kostyuk was in uniform on February 24, with his belongings and even with his own weapons in the battalion of the Kyiv Territorial Defense Forces. Even before that day, he was already training for the war that was coming.
He recalls that at that time there were more journalists than participants in training. On the 24th, it was time to prove his intention to defend the country with weapons in his hands.
Before the war, Oleksandr Kostyuk, an IT specialist and graduate of the Executive MBA Kyiv Mohyla Business School (kmbs), worked as director of the information and computer center of NAUKMA. He also managed technology needs at the National Agency for Quality Assurance in Education. That is not all. In the past, Oleksandr was the chief technology expert of the Electronic Library of Ukraine, which he helped establish and design the technology needs for access to global academic information for Ukraine’s universities.
People with or without different experiences volunteered to the Territorial Defense Force. In the case of Oleksandr, he embodied the values and spirit of the Ukrainian nation and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. "I believe that in order to be a patriot, you have to pay taxes and serve in the army," he said.
In his opinion, the army should be an example of good management. Because he worked often with government agencies, he sees that the structure and management of the army is the same as in a well-run corporation.
"Many people think that the most important thing in war is to shoot accurately," says Oleksandr. In fact, human resources are still at the center of winning. Modern war is artillery war. In the end, it all depends on the people around you, how responsible the attitude of the unit commander is, how trust is developed. " Alexander likes and respects his fellow soldiers and commanders. “They are all patriots ready to defend their nation,” he says.
Now Oleksandr is leading a platoon in the Kharkiv region, and before that he was station in in the Hero City of Irpin. He is committed to fight for victory and believes that not only the front but also the rear makes a significant contribution to victory.
All his colleagues at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the administration, faculty members, and students are proud of Oleksandr and his commitment to the victory of Ukraine and wish him a safe return home.
