Ukraine is digital by design: Resilience and trust, embedded in governance

Success story July 2, 2025

Ukraine’s digital journey started in full swing in 2019 with an ambitious effort by the newly created Ministry of Digital Transformation: to build the world’s most convenient digital state in the world. In 2022, after Russia’s full-scale invasion, this goal became a lifeline during wartime. As missiles fell and institutions were tested, Ukraine’s public digital ecosystem did more than hold firm – it evolved.

Backed by strong vision and international partnerships, particularly with the European Union and e-Governance Academy through the EGOV4Ukraine, EU4DigitalUA and DT4UA projects, Ukraine’s digital government proved its resilience and vital role in connecting citizens, businesses, and the state, even in the darkest moments. It demonstrates how digital government can fortify trust and resilience, even at moments when society is under immense strain.

Ukraine’s size and population:

Area: 603,628 km²

Population: 37,3 (2019)

Duration of the projects: 2016 – 2025

Funded by: European Union

Projects’ titles: DT4UA, EU4DigitalUA, EGOV4Ukraine

Background, Needs, and Challenges

Before 2019, Ukraine faced multiple challenges that stood in the way of building a modern and trusted digital government:

Fragmented and disconnected systems
Digitalisation efforts were scattered across agencies without coordination or common standards. The level of interoperability between government databases and registers was not sufficient.
Siloed governance structures
Ministries operated mainly independently, making cross-agency collaboration slow and difficult.
Paper-based bureaucratic culture
For citizens, receiving a public service meant long waits, repetitive paperwork, and unclear procedures.
Low public trust and limited transparency
Inefficient and opaque services damaged citizens’ confidence in government and facilitated corruption.
Lack of unified leadership and political power for digital transformation
Until 2019, Ukraine lacked a central vision and leadership with real power for advancing digital government.
Limited digital culture and administrative capacity
Government organisations were not prepared to manage or deliver digital services at scale.

“People were frustrated. Government processes were exhausting and deeply impersonal,” Valeriya Ionan explained, Advisor to the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on Innovations, Digitalisation and Global Partnerships. “We heard over and over: ‘why can’t services be simpler?’ And that frustration was legitimate.”

While early efforts at digitalisation took place after the 2014 Revolution of Dignity, they lacked coherence. Ministries worked in silos. Trust in public services remained low.

The formation of the Ministry of Digital Transformation in 2019 marked a decisive shift. Led by Mykhailo Fedorov, the Ministry launched an ambitious vision: build a “state in a smartphone.” But this would require systemic change.

As one of the first steps of governance, the introduction of Chief Digital Transformation Officers (CDTOs) in every ministry ensured consistency and accountability. Also, the Ministry continued the predecessor’s work with interoperability system development, and the related legal framework to make data move, not people.

Mykhailo Fedorov

Vice Prime Minister for Innovations, Development of Education, Science and Technologies — Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine

From the first day of our work, digital change has been supported by the European Union and e-Governance Academy. And thanks to this cooperation, we managed to implement dozens of important solutions for Ukrainian citizens and businesses. And even now, after 5 years of work, we have many joint achievements that have changed the way Ukrainians interact with the state.

Enablers of the Digital State: Trembita, Diia and Digital Signature

Ukraine’s journey towards digital transformation has been marked by significant achievements, notably through the development and implementation of Trembita, the national data exchange platform, and the Diia portal and app. These tools have truly revolutionised the way citizens interact with government services, making them more efficient, transparent, and accessible.

The state available everywhere, with Diia

Launched in 2020, Diia became the face of Ukraine’s digital transformation. Starting with essential documents, it expanded to more than 140 services on the portal and app.

“Diia brought the state closer to people. Literally into their pockets,” Ionan said. It allows citizens to apply for social support, register businesses, and access more than thirty documents through a simple interface.

When the war broke out, Diia’s role expanded further. It became essential for issuing digital IDs to displaced persons, facilitating emergency payments.

Enabling seamless connections across government through Trembita

Trembita, the interoperability platform launched in 2019, powers Diia’s services behind the scenes. Developed by Cybernetica and implemented by e-Governance Academy within the EU-supported EGOV4Ukraine project, by 2025 Trembita connects more than 150 government registries and has processed more than 14 billion exchanges (June 2025) . During war, this allowed government services to continue uninterrupted despite widespread disruption.

Valeriya Ionan

Advisor to the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on Innovations, Digitalisation and Global Partnerships

Trembita allowed us to verify identities, issue documents, and process aid when face-to-face was impossible. It became the invisible link between institutions, bringing interoperability to previously siloed government operations and dramatically enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in service provision.

Support to the economy through digital business services

Ukraine also prioritised economic continuity. The e-Entrepreneur platform, launched in 2024, brought together 13services to simplify business operations.

And to meet growing demand, its capabilities were further expanded by mid-2025. It now includes more advanced features to support entrepreneurs – from simplified tax services and digital employment processes, to tailored support for sole proprietors and SMEs navigating wartime challenges. This expansion reflects Ukraine’s commitment to ensuring businesses could continue operating, innovating, and growing, even under extraordinary circumstances.

“War doesn’t stop entrepreneurship, people still need to work and create,” Ionan highlighted. Within a year, 2,600 companies were registered, and entrepreneurs gained precious time previously spent on paperwork.

Continues…

Watch the human side of e-Entrepreneur

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See the human side of e-Entrepreneur

The most important business services in one online application—how e-Entrepreneur makes life easier for entrepreneurs. Over the past two years, e-Governance Academy experts have supported the development of e-Entrepreneur as part of the DT4UA project to make even more convenient services available to Ukrainian businesses. Our video features Yelyzaveta and Yulia, who opened their confectionery shops using the e-Entrepreneur service on the Diia portal. They not only create delicious desserts, but also prove that business can be accessible to everyone.

Enhancing the use of digital signature

The process started in 2017, and during the last three years, the e-Governance Academy has been involved in it. The collaboration included the harmonisation of the legislation, negotiations with the European Commission and the implementation of technical interoperability solutions. All in all, 74 laws were adopted. In 2023, Ukraine has become the first non-EU country to see digital signatures of its businesses and citizens recognised by the European Union. This milestone allows Ukrainian businesses to participate in the digital single market, and conduct online transactions with ease.

Listen to the podcast with Oleksandr Kozlov

Building digital culture and capacity

Transformation was not about tools alone. e-Governance Academy supported legal frameworks and civil servant training, but Ukraine also focused strongly on mindset and organisational readiness. “We didn’t just install tools,” Ionan explained. “We made sure institutions were ready and citizens trusted them. Building digital culture was key.”

Developing digital capacity meant creating technical know-how, but also an understanding across ministries and agencies of how digital services transform public service logic. Workshops, cross-governmental seminars, and continuous learning initiatives became central. “Our goal was to make digital part of everyday government language. From the top levels of leadership down to local offices, everyone had to embrace the shift,” Ionan said.

Moreover, building trust required deliberate efforts to make services transparent, secure, and responsive. Communication campaigns helped explain new services to citizens, while feedback loops through Diia and other channels gave users a voice in shaping their digital experience. “Trust doesn’t happen automatically. We actively sought to build that, by showing that public services could be as fast and intuitive as the best private ones,” Ionan pointed out.

Milestones and Achievements to Date

Ukraine’s transformation reshaped public services and expectations. It also rewrote the relationship between the state, its citizens, and businesses – moving from sporadic, fragmented services to an integrated and trusted digital environment that held strong even in wartime.

Thanks to the clear vision and political will supported by domestic stakeholders and international partners and donors, Ukraine rose by 2024 to 16th place in the e-Government Development Index, from 30th place in 2022. Yes, in just two years.

As Deputy Minister Ionan put it: “Digital was the only part of government that didn’t stop for a second even amidst the war. It kept the country moving, while citizens and businesses needed that connection more than ever.”

Some achievements as of April 2025:

22 M

Diia users (60% of the population)

€860 M

saved through Trembita-enabled automation

€1.5 Bn

saved in corruption-related costs (2021–2024)

70+ M

digital signatures ensuring trust and legal security

124,000

years of citizen time saved through Trembita-enabled automation

16,000

tons of CO₂ avoided through Trembita-enabled automation

And beyond statistics, Ukraine achieved something deeper: a cultural and institutional shift that placed digital at the heart of governance. “We made digital the new normal. People now expect efficiency and reliability.”

New expectations shaped public behaviour, and solidified trust in government services. From renewing documents to applying for financial assistance, people began to experience the government as a reliable and user-oriented partner. “It became natural for people to turn to digital first, because they knew it worked,” Ionan proudly reflected.

During full-scale war (2022-…), resilience is tested on every front. So within this context, Trembita became – even more so – the essential backbone of public administration. It allows government registries to continue exchanging information securely despite disruptions and threats to physical infrastructure.

“Trembita kept our institutions connected when everything else was uncertain,” Ionan fittingly said. Diia, meanwhile, became the lifeline for millions displaced by conflict or affected by crisis. “When everything else stopped, Diia stayed open, and that gave people a sense of stability and reassurance.”

Even the economy benefitted from this resilience. Entrepreneurs and small businesses continued to operate thanks to streamlined digital services.

It all hints at Ukraine’s success not being simply technological, but deeply human. Digital government became more than a tool – it is the thread connecting people to each other and to their country, when they need it most.

Takeaways, at a Glance

Ukraine’s experience offers lessons for digital government everywhere:

Vision needs structure
CDTOs and legal frameworks embedded transformation in governance.
Trust is earned through reliability
Seamless services build confidence and reduce corruption.
Interoperability is essential
Trembita enabled transparent, integrated service delivery. Or, to put it simpler: it makes data run, not people.
Adaptation matters
Ukraine took inspiration from Estonia, but shaped its own digital journey. Making Estonia, in turn, have plenty to learn too from that approach.
Preparedness pays off
Ukraine’s robust digital systems proved essential during the crisis.
An integrated digital culture
Ukraine’s transformation went beyond technology to reshape processes, and fully incorporated digital thinking across layers of government.
Global partnership, local ownership
Collaboration with Estonia’s e-Governance Academy blended international expertise with tailored Ukrainian solutions.

“Digital transformation is about readiness and vision,” Ionan concluded. “For us, it meant serving people no matter what happened. That’s why we believe our story matters.”

Today, Ukraine continues its digital transformation journey, expanding services and deepening its e-governance approach. Its success demonstrates how governments can remain connected to citizens and businesses – and do so even under the harshest of circumstances.

post October 14, 2024

Ukraine’s Rapid Digital Leap

Area 603,628 km2 Population 36,744,636 National Cyber Security Index 75.32 (2023) Digital Development Level 55.96 (2023) In 2012, when eGA started its first municipality projects in western Ukraine, bureaucrats in ministries were still carrying huge folders around. Nevertheless, local municipal leaders, such as mayor of Vinnytsia and later prime minister Volodymyr Groysman, were keen to update

post October 20, 2022

eGA helps to keep Ukraine online

Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression EU has rapidly supported the cybersecurity and data security needs of Ukrainian public authorities to keep public services available during the war. The Estonian e-Governance Academy leads the implementation of a total budget of over 10 million euro. “We are witnessing how the cyberspace is also battlefield.