In an era of war and technological struggle, data control is not just a matter of security, but a matter of state survival. Ukraine is already paying millions of dollars for its dependence on foreign clouds, and the lack of its own standards and solutions in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence could put the country on the brink of digital colonization.
In an era of war and technological struggle, data control is not just a matter of security, but a matter of state survival. Ukraine is already paying millions of dollars for its dependence on foreign clouds, and the lack of its own standards and solutions in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence could put the country on the brink of digital colonization.
We gathered the opinions of four experts: CTO of GigaCloud Kyrylo Naumenko, investor and member of the supervisory boards of Kyivstar, Helsi, lilo Dmytro Shymkiv, CGO of lilo Vasyl Zadvorny, and lead architect of IT Specialist LLC Konstantin Moskvin — to understand what threatens «digital colonization» and how Ukraine can maintain control over its data.
Kyrylo Naumenko from GigaCloud admits: «There is currently no single understanding of digital sovereignty. But I am impressed by Deloitte’s approach, which includes five key points: operational autonomy, data management in accordance with local and international legislation, reducing vendor dependency, a resilient infrastructure adapted to the needs of the region, and protecting sensitive information.»
The most important component of digital sovereignty, according to GigaCloud, is data storage.
«Countries that do not have their own IT infrastructure risk becoming digital colonies. Their data ends up with large tech corporations that simply make money from it,» the expert emphasizes.
In turn, Konstantin Moskvin emphasizes that cybersecurity is a key area of digital sovereignty. «Without our own research, technological development, and production of solutions in the field of cyber defense, full-fledged digital sovereignty will remain unattainable. This is not just a matter of protecting infrastructure — it is the foundation of independence in the digital age,» he explains.
Vasyl Zadvorny warns: «When people in Ukraine talk about digital sovereignty, it is not about building an electronic „iron curtain“. Complete digital autarky is the path of Iran or North Korea. On the contrary, we must be deeply integrated into the Western digital space, protecting our own interests and acting as an active player.»
Dmytro Shymkiv expands on this idea, emphasizing that digital sovereignty is primarily «control over strategically important data — infrastructure, geospatial, medical, military. These are the data that determine the stability of the country.»
Konstantin Moskvin adds that another critically important aspect is the development of our own standards:
«Blindly following generally accepted standards will lead to nothing but stagnation. Digital sovereignty is the ability not only to implement, but also to critically rethink, adapt, and update norms according to one’s own realities and challenges.»
According to Kyrylo Naumenko (GigaCloud), Ukrainian state structures and the private sector spend more than $100 million annually on cloud hyperscaler services. «If these same services were ordered from Ukrainian providers, the cost would be about $60–65 million. The rest is a loss for the country’s economy,» the expert clarifies. According to his estimates, at least another $50–70 million a year goes abroad from non-software.
Shymkiv admits: «It is impossible to completely break away from the global cloud infrastructure. Large data centers are billion-dollar investments, available only to states or giant corporations.» At the same time, in his opinion, Ukraine’s task is to clearly determine which data sets should be stored exclusively within the state, and to build a smart, flexible system of interaction with global platforms.
At the same time, Moskvin emphasizes the acute dependence in the field of artificial intelligence:
«Currently, we are almost completely dependent on foreign solutions in the development of AI models, cloud services for their training and support. This carries not only financial risks, but also informational ideological dependence due to the possibility of influencing the formation of public opinion.»
«Strong centers already exist: GovTech, government digital services. In 2024, Ukraine ranked first in the UN Digital Citizens' Index,» says GigaCloud CTO. He also recalled that only the second Global Government Technology Center in the world from WEF opened in Kyiv — proof that Ukraine is already among the leaders of the digital public sector.
The second direction, according to a GigaCloud representative, is military IT solutions.
«Without our own technologies, we would not be able to provide navigation, reconnaissance, communications, and equipment control. And all these systems are created from scratch — taking into account the conditions of war.»
Vasyl Zadvorny agrees: «The front has turned the country into a live sandbox. In military-tech, we are already in the top league — FPV drones, sensor-fusion systems for artillery. Both GovTech and AI products have become our strengths.»
Shymkiv adds healthcare to this.
«Patient data is sensitive information that must be stored in the country. The same applies to digital services for citizens — such as „Diya“. This is global practice,» he says.
Konstantin Moskvin confirms: «Cybersecurity is one of our strongest and most dynamic digital industries. Ukrainian specialists are recognized internationally, and this area has become strategic for state security. Electronic services like „Diya“ have also proven that we are capable of setting trends in digitalization.»
At the same time, both experts admit that in a number of areas — local AI models, search engines, OS, hardware — we are still lagging behind. «But we are no worse than most other countries that also depend on Big Tech,» says the GigaCloud CTO.
GigaCloud CTO Kyrylo Naumenko does not hide: «We already see the risks — for example, the story with Starlink. If Elon Musk decides to turn off our access, it will paralyze drones, air defense, and communications on the front line.» The company emphasizes that such a situation is direct evidence of vulnerability.
Shymkiv is more reserved: «The term ‘digital colony’ sounds loud, but in reality the situation is more complicated. We all use services that are under the jurisdiction of the US or the EU. This is neither good nor bad — it’s a fact.» At the same time, in his opinion, it is necessary to clearly define: which data can be processed externally, and which — exclusively locally.
The backyard adds:
«If digital sovereignty is put on the back burner, Ukraine risks losing IT talent and investments and will be left with only the „Belarusian Windows“: everything its own, but without competition, quality, and exports.»
Moskvin emphasizes: «If Ukraine does not pay due attention to digital sovereignty, it risks becoming a digital colony — completely dependent on foreign technologies, including in strategic areas from defense to energy. In this case, any external player, be it a state or a transnational corporation, can control our digital space.»
GigaCloud CTO claims that Ukraine already has its own cloud infrastructure. «Our data centers are located in Ukraine, comply with the CIS and GDPR, and have VMware Sovereign Cloud Provider certification. In 2023, the number of our government customers increased by 55%,» he clarifies.
Shymkiv emphasizes the importance of data classification: «In the companies I am involved with — Kyivstar, Helsi, lilo — we use a combined model. We store some of the data in Ukraine, and we reserve some globally. This is a flexible, adaptive approach.»
He specifically focuses on language models and artificial intelligence. «The development of Ukrainian LLMs is a matter of preserving language, culture, and digital identity. This is part of the digital heritage that also needs to be protected,» he emphasizes.
Zadvorny adds:
«Digital sovereignty is based not only on technology, but also on people. We need a reservation system, access to venture capital, and rules of the game for minority investors. Because now the conditions are being set under which the founders will either return after victory or leave forever.»
Moskvin emphasizes that one of the fundamental factors of sovereignty is people: “ Investment in the education of the younger generation is condition No. 1. Without training a critical mass of motivated specialists, the digital ecosystem will not be able to function effectively. At Cyberin Academy, we launch courses in cybersecurity and working with AI, help universities update programs, and provide laboratories and mentors.»
As Shymkiv says, «doing everything yourself is expensive, keeping everything external is dangerous. We need a system of solutions adapted to Ukrainian realities, military risks, and technological capabilities.»
Naumenko from GigaCloud summarizes:
«Digital independence is possible. But for this, the state must stimulate the domestic market, invest in local services, and support Ukrainian developers. Because digital sovereignty is no longer the future. It is the present.»
Zadvorny concluded clearly: «Sovereignty is cyber resilience, taxes are here, talents are here, new markets and political weight. And Ukraine is already creating pieces of this digital autonomy that are working right now.»
Moskvin adds: «Digital sovereignty is a complex system that includes technology, standards, artificial intelligence and, most importantly, people. Without these components, it is impossible to build true digital independence.»
