Estonia and Ukraine launch cyber range trainings to train over 500 cyber specialists in Ukraine
Estonia will continue its steadfast support to Ukraine’s cyber resilience through a new phase of joint exercises. Over the next 14 months, with the support of the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), up to nine cyber range trainings and exercises will be held for more than 500 Ukrainian participants under the project „UA-EE Cyber Shield via Tallinn Mechanism “.
The project is implemented jointly by the e-Governance Academy (eGA), CybExer Technologies, and Ukraine’s National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre under the National Security and Defence Council. Its goal is to equip Ukrainian cyber specialists with the practical expertise to prevent, detect, and respond to digital threats, strengthening the country’s resilience against evolving cyber challenges.
“Estonia is a reliable partner for us in cybersecurity and digital development. Joint initiatives to develop innovative solutions, train specialists, and exchange experience will strengthen our cyber resilience and contribute to the security of the whole European community,” said Serhii Demediuk, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.
“Estonia has been successfully building its expertise in cybersecurity for many years. Today, we are sharing this knowledge and experience with Ukraine to support the country in addressing modern cyber challenges,” said Lauri Luht, CIO of the Government of Estonia.
“This series of exercises highlights Estonia’s commitment to supporting the enhancement of cybersecurity in Ukraine’s critical infrastructure while fostering international cooperation through the Tallinn Mechanism. As Ukraine’s cyber resilience is more important than ever, I look forward to continued cooperation with our good partners for more exercises and partnership in the future,” said Andres Ääremaa, programme manager for Cybersecurity and e-Governance at ESTDEV.
The first exercise training session took place in Kyiv on 25–26 September, bringing together Ukrainian cyber specialists from all across the government. The program emphasised a hands-on approach, allowing participants to practice incident response scenarios in conditions that closely reflect real-life cyber incidents.
“Participating in the training sessions helped me efficiently discover modern approaches to cybersecurity. The interactive format made it possible to put my new knowledge into practice, which was extremely useful. What I liked most was seeing how everyone’s individual efforts came together to make us stronger as a team by sharing information and working together,” said Andrii Fedorov, a specialist in the Analytics and Cyber Security Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
CybExer Technologies and eGA jointly have a proven track record in delivering advanced cybersecurity training in Ukraine. This experience also includes an intensive training programme for military experts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2022-2023.
“Based on our close collaboration with Ukraine over recent years, we at eGA and CybExer have observed an increased motivation and dedication to acquiring new skills to protect Ukraine’s cyberspace. All know-how shared is essential for countering real-world cyber threats,” said Merle Maigre, project manager at eGA.
The upcoming eight cyber exercise trainings will combine capture-the-flag, threat-hunting and live-fire simulations, culminating in a hack-back scenario. All sessions will run on CybExer’s cyber range platform, providing a near real-time visualisation and analysis of training and exercise data, ensuring the training is transparent, engaging, and valuable.
The cyber range exercises are funded by the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) with nearly €1 million. This project is part of Estonia’s contribution to supporting Ukraine’s cybersecurity and resilience through the Tallinn Mechanism. The Tallinn Mechanism, established in December 2023 by 11 partner countries: Estonia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Canada, Poland, France, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, the USA, and the United Kingdom. The mechanism aligns Ukraine’s key cybersecurity priorities with international support, reinforcing the country’s resilience and preparedness against evolving cyber threats.
Photos by Iurii Strokan