First Step Towards Creating Cyber Forces: Bill Passes Initial Reading

Ukraine is preparing to establish a new branch of the military: the Cyber Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The corresponding Bill No. 12349 defines them as a separate military command body responsible for ensuring the state’s defence in cyberspace.

 

Key Responsibilities of the Cyber Forces:

• Preparation and conduct of military cyber defence measures to protect the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine;
• Formation, application, and development of the Cyber Forces’ capabilities;
• Cyber defence and ensuring cyber security for the electronic communication systems and technological processes of the Armed Forces;
• Preparation and conduct of military cyber operations in the electromagnetic spectrum;
• Military cooperation with NATO, foreign countries, and international organisations in the field of cyber defence and joint protection against military threats.

 

The structure of the Cyber Forces will include military units, educational institutions, and research centres dedicated to building Ukraine’s intellectual and technological potential for digital defence. Particular attention is given to forming a cyber reserve, which civilian IT specialists, volunteers, and representatives of technology companies can join—both Ukrainians and foreigners ready to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in cyberspace.

 

Cyber reservists are trained specialists (citizens of Ukraine, foreigners, and stateless persons) who possess the knowledge, professional training, and skills to plan and execute cyber defence tasks, and are ready for operational deployment within the Cyber Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

 

These specialists will undergo training, drills, and coordination under the command of the Cyber Forces leadership, while retaining their civilian status. This creates the opportunity for the prompt operational deployment of Ukraine’s top specialists for defence tasks in the digital domain.

 

Command over the Cyber Forces will be exercised by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and at the political level by the President of Ukraine. Servicemen and employees of this structure are expected to receive increased salaries and bonuses for successfully conducted cyber operations.