Ukrainian soldiers take leadership course at Warwick University

A Ukrainian soldier who was held captive for a year and tortured has taken part in a leadership programme to help gain skills to aid her country’s post-war recovery.

Maria Chekh was one of 16 soldiers and veterans who swapped the front line for the classroom for the course at Warwick Business School earlier in September.

She survived one of the fiercest battles in her home city of Mariupol in 2022, and said she hoped she could inspire and give hope to others.

The week-long programme was in collaboration with Ukrainian civil society organisation CHESNO.

Maria was among the Ukrainian troops who held out for three months in the Azovstal steelworks three years ago. Most of her comrades were killed.

She said: “Two females soldiers, my sisters in arms, died and I don’t know how I survived because I was actually closer to the explosion than they were, but in war sometimes strange things happen.”

After they surrendered, Maria became a prisoner of war and told how she was humiliated and made to stand from 06:00 to 22:00 whilst held captive. At times there was a lack of food and water, she added.

Although she was injured in the conflict against Russia and suffered brain and knee trauma, Maria still serves with her military unit but not on the front line.

Now she co-ordinates the rehabilitation for wounded veterans and their families and said she wanted to expand the support to them, and hoped the leadership training will help achieve that.

Danylo Shyngelskyi, who also took part in the programme, served his country for two-and-a-half years before being medically discharged. He was shot in the shoulder and suffers from nerve damage in his hand.

The 22 year-old is now pursuing a degree in political science and said he joined the programme so he could continue to help serve his country by improving his leadership skills.

He said: “The best future for Ukraine is a future with Europe, so we must develop this connection with Europe.”

Danylo added he wanted to continue to help the military and said “education can help me do this work better”.

The programme has been well received by both students and academics, Dr Bo Kelestyn, of Warwick Business school, said.

It added it hoped they can welcome more Ukrainian soldiers and veterans in the future.