Lieutenant Colonel Artem Kyselyov of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been at the front since the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion. He fought in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions, and now the unit he leads is fighting in Donbas.
This year, Artem joined the ranks of KSE Graduate Business School students thanks to the support of FUIB: last fall, the bank invested $60,000 in a scholarship program launched by the KSE Foundation. In total, since 2018, 60 specialists have already received their degrees at KSE thanks to FUIB.
Artem Kyselyov had planned to pursue an MBA even before the full-scale war, but had to put this goal on hold due to circumstances. While serving, he learned that military personnel could study at KSE Graduate Business School with a grant from FUIB, so he immediately applied. He is now balancing his education with his military service.
“Studying helps to distract from the war and learn something new. It gives me hope for the future. It is difficult to make plans for the future when your comrades die. New knowledge and experience help to move forward. I am already using the operational management knowledge I gained at KSE GBS in my military service to reduce unnecessary processes,” says Artem.
Artem Kiselyov first encountered Russian aggression back in 2014. At that time, he was serving in Sevastopol as an assistant commander of the Pryluky missile boat. After the annexation of Crimea, Artem sailed on his boat to Odesa, where he continued his service in the Ukrainian army.
In 2018, he returned to civilian life and moved to Kyiv. Artem first worked as a sales manager and later headed the logistics and sales department. On February 24, 2022, he joined Ukraine’s Defense Forces as a volunteer.
“Together with the National Guard’s ‘Omega’ unit, we defended the Kyiv region. Then we moved to the Kharkiv region, where we participated in the liberation of Ruska Lozova and Pytomnyk with the Kraken special forces unit. After that, we headed to the south, where together with the 36th and 59th Marine Brigades and the 126th Territorial Defense Brigade we liberated villages in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. Then we joined the preparation of the raid with the GUR fighters in Kozachy Lager,” the officer says.
Later, the unit headed by Artem went to the east, where he fought alongside the “Azov” brigade in the Serebryanske forest in Luhansk region for almost a year. In January 2023, Artem was wounded when he and his two comrades ran into an enemy tripwire.
Today, he has fully recovered—Artem continues his service, studies in a remote program, and visits Kyiv whenever possible to attend lectures in person.
“I want to expand my management skills and knowledge to better fulfill my duties as a military leader. The MBA program offers a unique opportunity to gain comprehensive education in management, strategic planning and financial analysis, which is crucial for successful leadership. In addition, I want to prepare for life after military service – the MBA opens new career opportunities,” Artem shares.