The draft law on the creation of Cyber Forces within the Armed Forces of Ukraine is currently being amended and prepared for the second reading. The National Security and Defense Council, which is coordinating the creation of the new military structure, has announced who will be recruited to serve in the Cyber Forces.
The draft law on the creation of Cyber Forces within the Armed Forces of Ukraine is currently being amended and prepared for the second reading. The National Security and Defense Council, which is coordinating the creation of the new military structure, has announced who will be recruited to serve in the Cyber Forces.
Valery Churkin, the coordinator for digitalization, AI, and cybersecurity at the National Security and Defense Council, told DOU that without the involvement of civilian specialists, «highly professional mastery of the cyber domain is impossible.» Therefore, a cyber reserve is also envisaged within the Cyber Forces, which will be based on military personnel. Civilian specialists will be involved in it on a contract basis.
Civilian IT workers who become Cyberforce reservists will receive the status and rights of a military personnel. They can be involved in conducting cyber operations by order both in wartime and peacetime. The Cyberforce command will notify employers about the involvement of their reservist employees in the operation.
Cyber reservists will undergo professional and psychological selection, and their knowledge and skills will be assessed according to certain standards. Valeriy Churkine noted that the cyber reserve plans to attract Senior/Lead level IT specialists of various specialties, stacks, languages, and areas.
After the adoption of the law on the creation of Cyberforce, IT workers will have the opportunity to join the structure through recruiting centers. Currently, they can be transferred to Cyberforce from units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on an individual basis.
MP Oleksandr Fedienko said the bill provides a mechanism by which cyber reservists, who are not military personnel, would receive protection as combatants. This could help in cases where the Russians identify participants in cyber operations and try to take action against them using the International Criminal Court.
We would like to remind you that on December 19, 2024, draft law No. 12349 On Cyber Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was registered in the parliament. On March 20, 2025, it was considered by the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence and recommended for first reading and adoption as a basis.
In December 2025, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, announced that by the end of the year they plan to complete the formation of the Cyber Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a separate element of the military command system.
