Ukraine and Estonia strengthen cooperation in cybersecurity

A working meeting was held in Kyiv between a Ukrainian delegation headed by Serhii Demedyuk, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and Deputy Head of the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center, and an Estonian delegation led by Lauri Luht, Deputy Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs of Estonia. During the talks, the parties confirmed the high level of trust and practical cooperation in the field of cybersecurity and agreed on further steps to expand cooperation between the countries. They discussed support for the formation and implementation of a strategy for Ukrainian cybersecurity companies to export to the European market, the establishment of practical cooperation between Ukrainian and Estonian companies, the strengthening of public-private partnerships for the development of innovative products and services, as well as the coordination of actions in the field of personnel training and improving the cyber resilience of critical infrastructure. Separately, it was agreed to prepare the following joint initiatives with a focus on the exchange of expertise, pilot projects, and the involvement of business in international joint projects.

Speaking at the meeting, Serhii Demediuk emphasized:

"Estonia is a reliable partner for us in the field of cybersecurity and digital development. Today, we are discussing not only current challenges, but also prospects for Ukrainian cyber business in the European market. Joint initiatives to develop innovative solutions, train specialists, and exchange experience will strengthen our cyber resilience and contribute to the security of the entire European community."

In his address, Lauri Luht emphasized:

"Estonia consistently supports Ukraine in its efforts to strengthen cyber resilience and develop its own high-tech business. We are convinced that combining the efforts of the public and private sectors of our countries will not only effectively counter cyber threats, but also create new opportunities for the development of innovative products that will be of significant importance for the whole of Europe."

Today, Estonia already supports many initiatives aimed at developing Ukraine's cybersecurity capabilities. In particular, on September 25-26, as part of the Tallinn Mechanism, a two-day technical training on cybersecurity, UA-EE Cyber Shield, was organized by the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine in cooperation with Estonian partners – Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), CybExer Technologies, and e-Governance Academy. The event brought together Ukrainian specialists from government agencies and institutions to gain practical skills in identifying and countering cyber threats.

This training was the first step in the implementation of the long-term program “UA-EE Cyber Shield through the Tallinn Mechanism,” aimed at training more than 500 Ukrainian cyber specialists over the next 14 months. As part of the project, under the auspices of the NCSCC at the NSDC of Ukraine and with the support of ESTDEV, e-Governance Academy, and CybExer Technologies, up to nine training sessions and exercises are planned at the cyber range. They will combine training in threat detection, attack simulations, and rehearsing “hacker counterattack” scenarios in a realistic virtual environment, which will significantly improve the practical training of Ukrainian specialists.

The training was officially opened by Serhiy Demedyuk, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Deputy Head of the NCSCC, and Lauri Lucht, Deputy Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs of Estonia.

The training program focused on acquiring practical skills in identifying and analyzing cyber threats, processing event logs, investigating network traffic, and conducting network reconnaissance. Particular attention was paid to practical exercises on an interactive cyber range, which allowed participants to practice incident response scenarios in conditions close to real life.

At the end of the training, all participants received certificates. Andriy Fedorov, a specialist in the analytics and cyber security department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, shared his impressions:

"Participation in the training sessions allowed me to learn about modern approaches to cyber security, and the interactive format of the training provided an opportunity to practice the knowledge I had gained. It was particularly valuable for participants to see how individual efforts translate into collective security through information sharing and joint action."

The meeting and training were another step in deepening the strategic partnership between Ukraine and Estonia, aimed at strengthening the cyber resilience of states and developing joint initiatives in the field of digital security.