The Ukrainian Federation of Military Technology Sports has partnered with SET University to sign a memorandum aimed at enhancing the development of cybersecurity. This initiative encompasses educational programs, Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions, and the training of Ukrainians for international tournaments.
"Military technology sports are not about the future; they are about the present. Ukraine has become the first country in the world to recognize CTF as an official sport, and we are already establishing a national training system for esports athletes. Together with governmental and technical partners, the Federation is creating a new infrastructure for cyber resilience through sports, education, and real challenges," states Arthur Buligin, President of the Ukrainian Federation of Military Technology Sports.
In 2025, the CTF discipline was officially recognized as a sport in Ukraine, marking a world first. Following this, the first official regional competitions took place on July 26-27, where finalists were selected.
The competitions were held at the national cyber polygon Unit Range, supported technically by Cyber Unit Technologies. Participants tackled challenges in categories such as Web, Crypto, Reverse, PWN, OSINT, and Forensics, including a special author challenge from Cyber Lab.
Within the regional cybersecurity championships, the top teams from various regions were identified. In Vinnytsia, the winning team was Samurai, with Cyber Support in second place and RCE Ninjas in third. In Rivne region, the top spot was claimed by team 0xRivne, with NUWM taking silver and 404TEAM winning bronze. In Mykolaiv region, the leading team was BARRACUDA, followed by Ghost in the Shellcode in second place and 0xMK UA in third.
These teams will represent their regions in the final of the Ukrainian Cybersecurity Championship in September 2025.
Additionally, an open tournament named CYBER UNIT UNITED was held on July 26-27, which received official status as a national selection stage. The tournament was won by team dcua, with ByteMe taking second and dttua securing third place. Besides the medalists, additional qualifications for the finals of the Ukrainian Championship were earned by teams: DNAcademy, Gongo, Exploit, Snufkink, XYZ.NXT, 0xSum, and LocalHost.
Regional competition winners will progress to the final of the Ukrainian cyber competitions. The champions will form the basis of the national team, representing Ukraine at the European Cybersecurity Challenge 2025 in Poland. Additionally, finalists will receive grants for a master's program in cybersecurity at SET University.