Parliament approves creation of Ukraine’s military Cyber Forces

According to Ukrinform, the legislative initiative was supported by 255 deputies.

Draft law No. 12349 provides for the establishment of the Cyber Forces of the AFU as a military command body that will be able to include a civilian component (cyber reservists) for the period during which relevant cyber-deterrence measures are carried out.

The bill proposes to define the legal status and principles of operation of the Cyber Forces, which will be responsible for Ukraine’s cyber defense and for protecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity in cyberspace.

The Cyber Forces will organize periodic training and coordination of cyber reservists to build a sustainable personnel and intellectual potential from motivated citizens of Ukraine.

The status of a cyber reservist does not automatically confer military-serviceman status; it may be periodic and temporary, and is based on the person’s specific skills in a given area and on their motivation.

The main tasks of the Cyber Forces of the AFU will be to build up and effectively apply cyber-deterrence capabilities, secure a military advantage for the Armed Forces of Ukraine over the enemy, and weaken the adversary’s capabilities by conducting operations in the electromagnetic spectrum and cyberspace.

Earlier it was reported that according to the bill’s author, MP Oleksandr Fedienko, creating the Cyber Forces would become one of the alternative elements of deterring the enemy.