Марія Бровінська Work 23 June 2026, 09:00

"I would go to deftech, but..." What really scares IT workers away from defense - from remote work to fear of mobilization

Ukrainian defense tech has been one of the hottest areas for hiring engineers for several years. Companies are looking for developers, testers, embedded specialists, AI, computer vision, and other specialists. At the same time, not all IT professionals are ready to change outsourcing, a product company, or a startup to work on defense technologies.

Some candidates fear security risks, mobilization, or industry instability. Others don’t see the job for them due to the technology stack or the requirement to work from an office.

dev.ua asked representatives of miltech companies and analyzed the answers about the readiness for deftech of IT specialists themselves, and found out what exactly repels people from defense tech and whether these fears correspond to reality.

Fear No. 1. «I will be mobilized or sent to the front»

The most common fear that employers talk about is not even related to the job, but to misconceptions about the industry itself.

BlueBird Tech says that some candidates still confuse miltech companies with military structures or even with the Trade and Industry Commission.

Among the most common fears of candidates:

that work in defense tech is directly related to mobilization;
that the company cooperates with the CCC and the JV;
that after employment they may be sent to the front;
that the employee will be left without a reservation;
that the work would be physically dangerous.

WIY Drones confirms: some candidates still believe that working in miltech means serving in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and not employment in a technology company.

At the same time, dev.ua’s interlocutors emphasize that such fears do not correspond to the reality of the work of most defense tech companies.

Fear #2. «I would like to move, but I don’t see a place for myself»

Another common problem is a lack of understanding of what modern defense tech is all about.

WIY Drones says that many candidates still perceive the industry exclusively as an environment for the military or weapons manufacturers.

In fact, modern miltech includes software and hardware development, computer vision, embedded engineering, AI, autonomous systems, simulators, secure communications, and complex engineering products.

BlueBird Tech sees a similar problem.

They note that candidates often do not understand how their civilian experience can be applied in defense technologies, although such experience is often needed to create new solutions and scale existing products.

At the same time, the problem is not always fear or prejudice. Some engineers say they are willing to consider a job in defense tech, but don’t see a clear path to entry into the industry.

Software Engineer Andriy Makarov says that he actively looked at miltech vacancies, but found almost no remote positions and did not see much demand for web developers. «I looked for vacancies in miltech quite actively. There is nothing remote. Well, I understood that web developers are not really needed there.»

Java Developer Yuriy Cherkashin had similar impressions after visiting the Arsenal of Talents job fair. «After talking to about five representatives of different companies, the short answer was no. First of all, you need C++ and Python. Even if you are ready to learn another programming language, they are not ready to provide support like a jun during onboarding. Companies need ready specialists who can complete tasks.»

In his opinion, motivation to switch to miltech is not enough — additional training for specific technologies is needed.

QA specialists have similar doubts.

QA Engineer Maria Musinova says she’s not sure how much testers are in demand in the industry, and also draws attention to the lack of remote vacancies. «I recently thought about military technology, but I’m not sure that QA is really needed there. From what I’ve seen, it’s office work. And from abroad, there are probably zero options remotely.»

Fear #3. «I’ll have to go back to the office»

If a few years ago remote work became the standard for a significant part of the IT market, then in defense tech the situation is often different.

HIMERA notes that the most rejections are due to the work format — not all candidates are ready to work in an office or in hybrid mode, especially if they have worked completely remotely for years.

In addition, the specifics of the industry involve increased security requirements, verification, and restrictions on public communication of work results.

This problem is confirmed by the developers themselves.

JS/TS Developer Andriy E. calls the lack of a remote format one of the main barriers to entering the industry. «Maybe I would like to, but I haven’t seen the industry offering a remote format. For me, this is a serious blocker.»

Fear #4. «Polygraph, Tests and NDAs»

Some candidates are not ready for additional security procedures.

BlueBird Tech cites the reluctance to take a polygraph test as one of the reasons for rejection. HIMERA also notes that security checks and NDAs, which people from classic IT are not used to, are a separate factor.

For some specialists, it is important to be able to publicly talk about their projects, speak at conferences, or showcase cases in their portfolio. In defense tech, this is often impossible due to the closed nature of developments.

Fear No. 5. «What will happen after the war?»

Another argument that employers regularly hear is doubts about the long-term stability of the industry.

This is stated by Oleg Fedoryshyn, R&D Director of DevDroid. According to him, many candidates do not want to risk their current job, as they consider miltech a temporary phenomenon that will lose its relevance after the end of the war.

At the same time, HIMERA notes that candidates are also often interested in the financial stability of companies, dependence on government orders, and long-term business prospects.

Miltech as a mission — but under market conditions

Despite all the warnings, there are enough IT professionals who would like to work on defense products.

Maria Musinova says that the opportunity to join a cause that is important for the country is one of the factors that attracts her to the industry. «The transition to military technology sounds very normal, especially during the war. There will be something to tell my grandchildren.»

QA Engineer Yevhen Oleksenko also speaks of interest in defense technologies, but with his own clarification: «I would like to, but only what is related to protection, defense and intelligence, and not attack and destruction of people.»

At the same time, some candidates emphasize that patriotic motivation does not cancel market demands. Full Stack Developer Volodymyr Yevremov puts it as bluntly as possible: «With a market salary and reservation, the tasks become not so difficult.»

And PHP/Symfony Lead Oleksiy Krychevsky says that his experience of finding a job in the industry turned out to be contradictory. «I tried looking for something in a miltech and there were either strange conditions or a small salary. And it’s strange when everyone shouts about how cool, prestigious, and super promising it is in miltech,» the IT worker explains.

Conclusion

Interestingly, most of the reasons for rejection that employers cite are not related to the technologies or products themselves, but to uncertainty: fears about mobilization, security, polygraphs, work formats, or industry stability.

At the same time, the responses from IT professionals reveal another problem. Many do not reject defense tech as a direction, but they do not see vacancies for their stack, remote work formats, or a clear mechanism for transitioning from civilian IT.

It seems that the main personnel challenge of Ukrainian miltech today is not only in finding engineers, but also in explaining to the market who exactly the industry needs and how civilian experience can be useful for defense technologies.

“A strong engineer is easier to raise than to find today.” What specialists does Deftech lack the most today and why is this happening?