Opening of a cyber classroom for the Ukrainian Armed Forces

On the beginning of October 2023, a cyber classroom for the cyber defence units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was opened as part of the European Peace Facility (EPF) assistance measure implemented by the Estonian e-Governance Academy.

The classroom contains 15 workstations and nessessary equipment for providing trainings and exercises on cyber defence related topics. In addition to the cyber class, a cyber lab to practice adequate and timely responses to cyberattacks was set up last year. Morover, the European Peace Facility cyber project provides the Ukrainian Armed Forces with additional equipment and trainings to counteract cyberthreats.

“Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale aggression of Ukraine, the EU has supported Ukrainian public authorities’ cybersecurity and data security needs. The opening of this cyber classroom for the Ukrainian Armed Forces demonstrates once again our firm and continuous support to Ukraine in its defence against Russia’s aggression. It will boost Ukraine’s cyber defence capacity, and reinforce our comprehensive cooperation on security and defence with Ukraine,“ the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said.

Within the last 18 months the e-Governance Academy (EGA) has procured, set up, installed and configurated cybersecurity equipment and security hardware and software for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and conducted related trainings. Moreover, cyber lab and related trainings were delivered jointly with the CybExer Technologies.

“EGA’s team and partners have worked to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine with building cybersecurity skills and providing instrumental assistance. This is our contribution in building up the cyber resilience of Ukraine and keeping Ukrainian digital society running and government fuctional even during the war,” Hannes Astok, Executive Director of the e-Governance Academy.

The European Union has supported capabilities and resilience of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with the European Peace Facility (EPF) assistance measures since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The EPF enables capacity building activities for military actors, and the provision of training, equipment, and infrastructure for security purposes. With this, the European Union is further confirming its support to Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, and protect the civilian population against the ongoing Russian war of aggression.

Background information:

The European Peace Facility (EPF) supports an assistance measure for the benefit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces‘ Cyber Defence Component. The measure was adopted by the Council on 2 December 2021, upon proposal of the High Representative Josep Borrell. Its objective is to increase the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ capability in cyber defence. The total cost for the action under the cyber defence component is EUR 3 million. E-Governance Academy of Estonia (EGA) is the implementing actor of the project. Beside Ukraine, the e-Governance Academy implements the EPFassistance measures in Moldova and Georgia worth in total EUR 11.2 million.