After nearly four years of preparation, Ukraine is on the verge of launching one of its most significant defense reforms since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion — the establishment of its Cyber Forces (Кіберсили). On October 9, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada passed a draft law creating a new branch of the Armed Forces under the direct command of the Chief of the General Staff. According to BBC News Ukraine, the unit could become operational by the end of this year or early 2026.
This initiative stems from President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 2021 decree on “urgent measures for the cyber defense of the state.” After years of fragmented operations, ad-hoc “IT armies,” and volunteer hacking campaigns, Kyiv is moving toward a centralized, professionalized model of cyber warfare.
The new Cyber Forces will be tasked with building and applying capabilities for cyber deterrence, gaining military advantage over adversaries, and degrading enemy capacities through operations in the electromagnetic spectrum and cyberspace. In practice, they will handle both offensive cyber operations and network reconnaissance — formalizing activities that have taken place since 2022.
During the war, Ukraine’s cyber domain has been crowded with overlapping actors: the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), the Ministry of Digital Transformation’s IT Army of Ukraine, and the Signal and Cybersecurity Troops. The new structure aims to bring coherence to this fragmented ecosystem, ensuring coordination, lawful command, and accountability.
As lawmaker Oleksandr Fediyenko explained, “Cybersecurity troops will defend, while Cyber Forces will attack. In cyberspace, there are always attackers and defenders — that’s how it works globally.”
Experts agree that centralization is overdue. Colonel Ivan Pavlenko, head of electronic and cyber warfare, called the Cyber Forces a “base institution to develop the entire system,” acknowledging that while current units have achieved “powerful results,” they operate under fragmented command.
Former SBU cybercrime chief Kostiantyn Korsun described the early war period as “cyber anarchy,” with independent hacker groups launching spontaneous operations — sometimes even interfering with one another in “friendly fire” incidents. The Cyber Forces are designed to end this chaos, integrating disparate teams under unified leadership.
A defining feature of Ukraine’s Cyber Forces will be their Cyber Reserve, enabling the military to recruit civilian and foreign cybersecurity experts on temporary contracts for specific missions. These cyber reservists will operate confidentially, with success rewarded by state bonuses up to ₴1.17 million (approx. $28,000 USD) for strategic operations.
Ukraine’s institutionalization of cyber power has significance far beyond its borders: it establishes a legal precedent for integrating offensive cyber capabilities within an accountable military framework and aligns Kyiv more closely with NATO cyber defense models. The move demonstrates Ukraine’s determination to secure parity in the digital domain with adversaries and strengthen its Euro-Atlantic orientation.
The creation of Ukraine’s Cyber Forces represents a strategic turning point in how nations organize, legitimize, and command operations in cyberspace. For Ukraine, the digital front is now central to national sovereignty and defense.
CCD-IS Commentary
Ukraine’s reform offers critical lessons for policymakers worldwide. As cyber operations become tools of both defense and diplomacy, states must balance secrecy with accountability. Ukraine is pioneering a model of democratic cyber resilience that could shape the future of global cyber diplomacy.
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