Ukraine takes steps to launch dedicated cyber force for offensive strikes therecord.media/ukraine-t…

Ukraine’s parliament took a major step last week toward creating a dedicated military cyber branch, approving in its first reading a bill to establish a Cyber Force.

If the legislation passes a second vote and is signed by the president, Ukraine will, for the first time, unite its offensive and defensive military cyber capabilities under a single command within the Armed Forces.

Ukraine’s Cyber Forces will conduct military cyber operations, gather intelligence, hunt threats in cyberspace and defend military systems while building secure infrastructure for the Armed Forces — aligning the country’s defenses more closely with NATO standards as Kyiv pushes for membership.

The lack of consensus has delayed the establishment of the Cyber Forces for years. The idea was first discussed in 2021, before Russia’s full-scale invasion, but the relevant bill wasn’t registered until 2024.

Even now, its future remains uncertain: parliament still needs to approve the bill in a second reading, and the president must sign it before it becomes law. Fediyenko said the timing of its full adoption is unclear and suggested that some deputies view the issue as “a political game.”