In an interview with TO BHMA International Edition, on the occasion of her participation in the Delphi Economic Forum(22–25 April 2026), Valeriia Koval, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, reflects on how digital innovation is strengthening national resilience, reinforcing public trust, and delivering meaningful support to those defending the country in a war now entering its fifth year.

Ukraine has become one of the most digitalized countries in the world despite the ongoing war. In your opinion, what was the decisive factor that made such a rapid digital transformation possible?

 The decisive factor was the clear political will of the country’s leadership and the designation of digitalization as one of the government’s key priorities even before the full-scale invasion began. We fundamentally changed the way the state interacts with citizens, placing people’s interests at the center rather than the bureaucratic apparatus.

The creation of the Ministry of Digital Transformation allowed us to centralize this process and implement unified standards across all government institutions. Equally important was the flexibility of our team, which operates like a fast-moving IT startup rather than a traditional ministry.

The full-scale war did not stop us; on the contrary, it became a catalyst, as digital services turned into a matter of survival and security. We succeeded in building resilient digital infrastructure capable of withstanding cyberattacks and blackouts thanks to cloud technologies. The high level of public trust in Diia — with about 24 million users — became the social capital that enabled us to rapidly scale new services. Each new service launch was driven by real public demand, ensuring immediate audience reach.

We also invested in expanding high-speed internet access and digital education to make services accessible to every resident of the country. Support from international partners was crucial; they believed in our path and helped provide both technical capacity and funding. Ukrainian citizens proved remarkably adaptive, quickly embracing digital documents with the same legal validity as paper ones.

How did the war change the Ministry’s priorities compared with the digital strategy before 2022?

 Before the full-scale invasion, our primary goal was to build convenient public services, but the war forced us to transform the digital state into a tool of social resilience. We shifted our focus toward services that are critical during wartime, such as registering damaged property or providing payments to internally displaced persons.

Another key priority became the development of military tech and the launch of the Brave1 platform, aimed at turning Ukraine into a global hub for defense innovation.

A separate area of work became what we call a “digital lend-lease” — systematic cooperation with global technology companies to provide Ukraine with Starlink terminals and other critical equipment. The war also made digital identification a priority for citizens who lost their documents or were forced to leave the country.

We began introducing services not only for civilians but also specialized solutions for service members and veterans, something that was not part of the 2019 strategy. We created dedicated services for veterans, military personnel, and their families.

Ukraine is often described as a “state in a smartphone.” Can this vision already be considered fully realized, or are we only halfway there?

 The concept of a state in a smartphone has already become our reality, but we view this process not as a final destination but as a continuous evolution. Today, Ukraine has made an extraordinary leap by digitizing the most in-demand services and becoming the first country in the world to grant electronic passports the same legal status as physical ones.

However, our vision goes far beyond simply moving documents into a phone. We aim for deeper automation, where government services are delivered seamlessly, without the involvement of officials, and accessible with a single click.

Our goal is to build a true agentic state by integrating as many advanced technologies as possible into public institutions.

By the way, I am very impressed by Greece’s current digitalization policy and the work of your government in this area. As far as I know, the Prime Minister’s team is actively introducing AI technologies across many areas of public life.

Recently, Greece’s minister of education announced the launch of a pilot program integrating AI tools, including ChatGPT, into teachers’ work in academic institutions. The world is changing, and it is important to lead in technological advancement.

In Ukraine, for example, we have the large-scale Mriia project, which is already transforming the approach to education. We are doing everything possible to ensure that even in wartime, students and teachers have access to the world’s leading technologies.

Given the growing number of cyberthreats, how is the Ministry strengthening the protection of citizens’ personal data?

Cybersecurity and data protection have always been core priorities for the Ministry of Digital Transformation. We routinely conduct in-depth cybersecurity audits of our systems and the state registries integrated with them. These audits allow us to identify potential vulnerabilities early and implement the technological upgrades necessary to strengthen infrastructure resilience.

At the same time, we have significantly modernized the architecture of remote identification systems to ensure the highest level of protection for citizens’ personal accounts. Security is a shared responsibility, which is why we also invest in improving the digital literacy of every Ukrainian. The recently introduced National Cyber Hygiene Strategy aims to foster a culture of safe online behavior across society.

On a dedicated educational platform connected to Diia, we launched specialized courses that help citizens recognize social engineering attempts and protect their accounts securely. Ukraine actively cooperates with international partners, including through the Tallinn Mechanism, to exchange expertise and adopt leading-edge data protection solutions. This coordination allows us to integrate the best global practices and deploy rapid-response tools to address any digital anomalies.

Importantly, Diia is designed so that data is not stored in a single location; it simply displays information from primary sources on demand. We are also building multiple redundant layers in the national cloud infrastructure to ensure that government services remain operational under any circumstances.

Digital inclusion remains uneven, particularly among older citizens and residents of frontline regions. What concrete steps are being taken to bridge this gap?

 Digital inclusion is critical because we are building a state that serves everyone, regardless of age or location. Our approach is based on voluntariness and accessibility, which is why we have expanded the network of Administrative Service Centers as offline extensions of Diia.

Today, nearly 5,000 service points operate nationwide. These modern hubs allow specialists to assist people who have not yet mastered smartphones or who live in frontline communities. We understand that some citizens are not yet ready to fully digitize their lives, and that is perfectly normal.

That is why every service launched online always has an offline counterpart available through Administrative Service Centers, the Pension Fund, or other relevant institutions.

At the same time, we run large-scale communication campaigns across social media, television, and other channels to reach diverse age and social groups. Our strategy demonstrates real convenience: people see how Diia helps in critical situations and gradually overcome psychological barriers to technology. The nearly 24 million users of Diia speak for themselves — digitalization has become an organic part of everyday life for most Ukrainians.

How does digital transformation support anti-corruption efforts and government transparency today?

 Digitalization directly strikes at corruption. Frankly speaking, these are significant and systemic steps. I would divide the anti-corruption impact into several components.

The first concerns so-called petty corruption — situations in which people might previously have paid small bribes to officials to obtain a certificate or resolve minor administrative matters more quickly. For example, instead of waiting two or three hours in line, someone could receive a document immediately in exchange for an informal payment or material gift.

The second component involves larger-scale corruption related to permits issued to companies and institutions, such as construction permits. One company might have waited months and ultimately received nothing, while another could obtain the same authorization within days or even hours.

About six months ago, a major independent Ukrainian analytical company calculated the total savings from digitalization for Ukraine. According to its estimates, the state has saved more than $4 billion over the past five years. This figure reflects the total benefits of digital transformation, not only anti-corruption measures.

Specifically regarding anti-corruption impact, the digitalization of the most vulnerable public services alone has saved approximately $100 million. This is because interaction between the state, businesses, and citizens has become more transparent and fair, while the human involvement and the resulting opportunities for abuse have been significantly reduced.

Many veterans and internally displaced persons (IDPs) rely heavily on digital services. How is the Ministry adapting services for these groups?

 Services for service members, veterans, and their families are an absolute priority for the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Our position is clear: people defending the country should not have to spend their lives waiting in lines or collecting paper documents. A digital state is, above all, about respect and gratitude for the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who are actively protecting our nation.

To ensure veterans don’t have to navigate multiple registries to access services, we created a dedicated section in the Diia app called Veteran PRO. This is a single digital space that consolidates the most important services for adaptation, housing support, and social assistance.

 Today, through this section, veterans can quickly find a social worker, apply for funds to repair damaged property, or request sports-related financial support, all without lines or paperwork. Ukrainian veterans can even receive free car insurance, with 50% covered by the insurance company and the remaining half by the state.

Similarly, some services are available offline for military personnel and their families. Ukraine has a nationwide network of Administrative Service Centers where anyone can quickly access various services. While we have achieved a high level of comfort in these centers, the process continues to evolve. Citizens can pre-register, visit at a chosen time, and quickly access more complex services that have not yet been fully digitized.

Are there plans to integrate more services for psychological support, rehabilitation, or employment into Diia?

 Diia already includes such services. As mentioned earlier, the Veteran PRO platform allows veterans who are no longer in active service to apply for social assistance. In the coming days, we will launch a separate service for active-duty service members and their families. With a single application, they will be able to receive war-related disability status, recognition as a family member of a deceased service member, one-time financial assistance, and other services.

At the government level, a special program called Obriy has also been approved. Its goal is to help Ukrainians find employment and assist employers in identifying suitable candidates.

Every individual will have a personal digital profile in Diia listing their qualifications. They will gain access to job postings, including AI-assisted recommendations tailored to their skills and experience. The system matches job opportunities to the applicant’s qualifications and experience.

Employers, in turn, can manage their accounts, review potential candidates identified by the system based on suitability, and invite them for interviews. This will be especially helpful for veterans returning to civilian life who are looking for work.

There have been discussions about expanding digital tools ahead of future elections. What role could digital identification or services play in strengthening democratic participation?

 Elections through Diia are a very complex issue, with several challenges. First, there is currently no legal framework for conducting elections electronically in Ukraine.

Second, the country is at war, and the election process has not yet begun; at the time of this interview, no decisions have been made.

Third, it is a highly complex technological process requiring numerous additional solutions. To answer succinctly: our team is not currently working on conducting elections in Diia. If a political decision is made, the law is amended, and a legal basis is established, our team will, of course, implement the law and manage the process accordingly.