Russia’s Cyber War Against Ukraine: Lessons and Policy Challenges

Ukraine has become a crucible for a new breed of warfare—one fought not only with traditional battlefield weapons but also with lines of code and keystrokes. The country has faced for almost a decade an unrelenting wave of cyberattacks, with this invisible front blurring the line between state and nonstate actors, and introducing hackers, volunteers, and private companies to the fight.

Ukraine’s experience has implications that go beyond national security to include the future of international cyber policy, the role of technology giants in warfare, and the rights and responsibilities of civilians in a conflict.

This event will discuss the various questions of cyber warfare that Russia’s war on Ukraine has brought to the fore: How has the conflict influenced Ukrainian cyber policy and where is it headed? What role do citizens and other nonstate actors play in developing digital resilience? How can legal and policy challenges relevant to “cyber troops” be addressed? How should international humanitarian law treat evolving cyber warfare?

For more information, please contact Monika Dlugosch at [email protected].

The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is a nonpartisan policy organization committed to the idea that the United States and Europe are stronger together.