Наталя ХандусенкоHot News
16 July 2026, 14:25
2026-07-16
"Technologies should fight. And any technologies need proper management," — Acting Head of the Ministry of Digital Affairs on how the ministry became part of defense
During the Great War, the Ministry of Digital Affairs created conditions for the development of the defense-tech sector in Ukraine. These include Diya.City, Brave1, and the Bonus Drone Army. This was recalled by the interim head of the Ministry of Digital Affairs, Oleksandr Bornyakov, amid the events related to the possible resignation of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
During the Great War, the Ministry of Digital Affairs created conditions for the development of the defense-tech sector in Ukraine. These include Diya.City, Brave1, and the Bonus Drone Army. This was recalled by the interim head of the Ministry of Digital Affairs, Oleksandr Bornyakov, amid the events related to the possible resignation of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
"I often hear theses about why the Ministry of Digital Affairs is so deeply involved in defense projects? The answer is simple: because technologies have to fight. And any technologies need proper management. Together with Mykhailo, we built an architecture that allowed Ukraine to make a leap in weapons production," wrote the acting Minister of Digital Transformation.
According to Bornyakov, first of all, this is the Diya.City space, whose residents have become the core of Ukrainian defense-tech since the start of the full-scale invasion. These are over 500 companies that are manufacturers of drones, electronic warfare, and robotic systems, the largest of which have attracted over $200 million in investment for development.
To get defense developments to the front lines faster, the Brave1 cluster was created. The platform eliminated unnecessary bureaucracy, shortened the path from idea to contract, and provided developers with direct access to the military. Currently, 95% of battlefield strikes are carried out using drones.
Then the "Drone Army" project was implemented, which over time turned into the "Bonus Drone Army".
The “Drone Army” was launched in the summer of 2022 as a joint initiative of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Digital. Its task was to provide the front with large-scale unmanned systems. Since then, dozens of Ukrainian and international manufacturers have joined the project. In 2025, the e-Balls mechanism was additionally launched so that units could independently influence the selection and purchase of equipment.
"We have proven that IT specialists, engineers, and developers can be as strong a support for the army as classic defense plants. Building defense-tech during a major war is difficult, but we have created the conditions where it works," Bornyakov concluded.
