Over 240 cyber professionals of Ukraine enhanced cybersecurity skills at the largest cyber exercise
Three-day cyber exercise “UA-EE Cyber Shield via Tallinn Mechanism” involved over 240 cyber experts from Ukraine’s state authorities, critical enterprises, and academia. The exercise participants improved their practical skills of countering cyberattacks.
The Tallinn Mechanism is designed to align Ukraine’s top cybersecurity priorities with the efforts of 11 donor countries supporting Ukraine to reinforce the preparedness and resilience to cyberattacks. The exercise was the first cybersecurity contribution under this initiative.
„Our ambition with this Cyber Shield exercise is not just to carry out a single event. We aim to establish a broader exercise program, and we have already reached out to several partner countries to collaborate on this initiative. Together, we can create something even more impactful,” said Kristen Michal, Prime Minister of Estonia at the opening.
The three-day exercise was designed to strengthen the Ukrainian participants with the knowledge and skills required to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats, to protect critical infrastructure from cyberattacks.
“Joint exercises with Estonian partners are more than just an exchange of experience. They allow us to refine our cyber defense approaches by addressing real threats and challenges. Estonia was the first country to face russian cyberattacks, and their practical expertise helps us better prepare for potential scenarios. Ukraine and Estonia’s combined experience should serve as a model for scaling and expanding cooperation with other partner countries. Only through continuous joint training can we create a cyber coalition that works not just on paper but becomes a real tool for countering cyber threats “, – Serhii Demediuk, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.
The exercise engaged the participants from the Security Service of Ukraine, the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, universities from Kyiv, Lviv and Kharkhiv, and national telecommunications operators.
„Ukraine is enduring the first technological war in human history. It is really important for Ukraine to defend ourselves and be prepared to counter cyber threats. Cooperation between Ukraine and Estonia is crucial in order to share knowledge and experience. If we want to build a more secure and safer world, we have to work together“, said Valeriia Ionan, Deputy Minister of European Integration at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
The cyber exercise was conducted by CybExer, a NATO-awarded Estonian cybersecurity company, and administered by the Estonian e-Governance Academy.
According to Merle Maigre, Head of the Cybersecurity Competence Centre at the e-Governance Academy, cyber range-based exercises offer an effective and practical way to enhance cyber defence skills. “This allows Ukraine’s digital professionals to train as they would counter threats in real-life situations, ensuring the continuity of vital services and helping to build a secure and trusted digital environment. eGA and Cybexer have a proven track record in organising cyber trainings in Ukraine. We have witnessed incredibly high motivation of our Ukrainian partners to obtain new digital skills,“ said Merle Maigre.
The live fire exercise was preceded by task-driven threat hunting, which practised detecting and collecting data about potential attackers, and a training session that developed cyber capabilities at the technical level.
The exercise was organised by the e-Governance Academy and Cybexer on 09 – 11 December 2024 and with the support of the ESTDEV in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, CDTO Campus, National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine.
Mechanism for donor coordination
Launched in December 2023, the Tallinn Mechanism was established by eleven countries—Estonia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Canada, Poland, France, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, the USA, and the United Kingdom—to amplify donor support for Ukraine’s civilian cybersecurity efforts. Italy recently joined the Mechanism, and NATO and the EU participate as observers. Estonia is currently leading the Tallinn Mechanism. In 2024, Estonia allocated € 500 000 from the development cooperation budget for the initiative.
