Ukrainian society has responded to Russian aggression with extraordinary solidarity.
The IT sector, which has exploded in the country in recent years, is no exception. It has been the only industry in Ukraine to show growth after nine months of full scale war, and while 82% of its professionals continue their work supporting the country's economy, 15% of the IT workforce has joined Ukraine's cyber defenders.
Their achievements include disabling the Russian Regional Development Bank system, blocking the hackathon page of PMC Wagner, and much more. But it's not just cyber operations that the Ukrainian IT sector has contributed. There are also a number of tech products from Ukrainian IT that you should know about.
The urgent needs of the Ukrainian army prompted IT specialists to unite and create a non-profit organization that would not only provide ammunition to save dozens of lives, but also develop tools that could save hundreds more. All of these creations were financed by the founders of the Black Raven organization.
The eBosh is a combat-tested kamikaze strike drone with a range of 5 km.
"In difficult places like Bakhmut or Soledar, drone pilots are easily visible to the enemy's electronic warfare assets. And while the pilot is working on the positions, he has between 30 seconds and 5 minutes to drive away to escape incoming enemy artillery".
Therefore, Akim Isaev, one of Black Raven's co-founders, tells UkraineWorld, "we focused on a kamikaze model, and not on reconnaissance drones". This drone was even successful in destroying a Russian tank. As Isaev recalls, "we installed a cluster projectile on the drone, which penetrated the tank's frontal armor".
The Russians are trying to learn from their experience fighting against Ukraine, so new solutions must be found. For example, the Russians are now moving with greater distance between them, making it harder to hit them with artillery.
Another development, the Hunter wheeled robot, helps to solve this problem: the robot carries a weapon like a machine gun or handheld rocket launcher, allowing its operators to launch attacks on the enemy from closer in, while located at a safer distance. It is able to destroy lightly armored vehicles, such as infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers.
The developers of this simulation were in search of a way to attract foreign support for various different sectors in need. Russian aggression has caused destruction and damage to Ukraine's cultural, agricultural, education, and infrastructure sectors.
While the world wants to help Ukraine, it is necessary to offer people the tools to provide that help.
"Some people aren't ready to give money to the military, so in this game, they can, depending on the character they choose, offer help to environmental causes, psychological support for war victims, or anything else," Daria Tsepkova, co-founder of Tsebro Games tells UkraineWorld.
The game is based on real events, and puts players in the shoes of a volunteer who has stayed in his hometown and is helping it during the Russian invasion. Everyone will find something for themselves.
"The city in the game is a generalized image of Ukraine: there is a Crimean cafe, a Podilsky yard, a residential district," Daria explained to UkraineWorld.
In this way, the game helps to personalize the experience for those who don't live in the Ukrainian context, offering a sense of both the tragic events happening and of how life still continues despite it all.
"30% of sales go to charity, and the game itself has different storylines, so by choosing one or another character, a player can help this or that domain which needs help in Ukraine".
Players can even, for example, help evacuate an elephant under fire, seeing what it was like for the Ukrainian volunteers who did so in real life.
It is one matter to identify the enemy on the battlefield, but another to find him when he is among us. This is where the TyKhto app comes in, helping to strengthen security in the rear by reducing the threat from enemy collaborators.
As Mykhailo Horobtsov, Chief Product Officer at YouControl (the company which developed the app), told UkraineWorld, "the application was developed at first to simplify operations at road checkpoints, where there is no access to all the necessary data about a person in such the field".
TyKhto can notify personnel at a checkpoint whether a person has been identified as involved in crime or enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups with the help of numerous databases that are updated daily. There have been real successes in catching enemy agents thanks to the TyKhto app. The application gives checkpoint personnel instant access to a person's full name, identification numbers, and date of birth.
According to cybersecurity consulting firm 10Guards, the app has a high level of security. This program does not contain, store or transmit personal data of individuals. It contains public data from open registers. If the risk factor worked, then this is not proof that someone is a criminal, it is a signal for the police or other services to pay attention and conduct a deeper and more detailed check.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are successfully handling the fight at the front, but success at the front demands strength in the rear, which comes from the efforts of the entire Ukrainian nation. The Ukrainian IT industry has gotten involved through volunteering, donating, paying taxes, and especially by developing military tech solutions.
