Cyber Sports Advancement in Ukraine: Partnership with SET University
The Ukrainian Military Technology Sports Federation has entered into a strategic partnership with SET University aimed at advancing cybersecurity through educational programs, Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions, and preparing Ukrainian participants for international tournaments.
"Military technology sports are not about the future; they are about the present. Ukraine was the first in the world to recognize CTF as an official sport, and we are already establishing a national training system for esports athletes. The federation, along with state and technical partners, is building a new infrastructure for cyber resilience through sports, education, and real challenges," commented Arthur Buligin, President of the Ukrainian Military Technology Sports Federation.
In 2025, the CTF discipline was officially recognized as a sport in Ukraine, making it the first of its kind worldwide. Following this, the first official regional competitions were held on July 26-27, where finalists were selected.
The competitions took place at the national cyber range, Unit Range, with technical support from Cyber Unit Technologies. Participants tackled tasks in the categories of Web, Crypto, Reverse, PWN, OSINT, Forensics, as well as a special challenge from Cyber Lab.
Within the regional cybersecurity championships, the best teams were identified from various regions. In Vinnytsia, the Samurai team took first place, followed by Cyber Support in second, and RCE Ninjas in third. In Rivne, the 0xRivne team secured the top spot, NUWM took silver, and 404TEAM received bronze. In Mykolaiv region, BARRACUDA led the competition, Ghost in the Shellcode took second, and 0xMK UA finished third.
These teams will represent their regions at the finals of the Ukrainian Cybersecurity Championship in September 2025.
Additionally, an open tournament called CYBER UNIT UNITED took place on July 26-27, gaining official status as a national selection stage. The dcua team claimed victory, with ByteMe in second place and dttua in third. Beyond the winners, the following teams also qualified for the finals of the Ukrainian Championship: DNAcademy, Gongo, Exploit, Snufkink, XYZ.NXT, 0xSum, and LocalHost.
Regional competition winners will advance to the finals of the Ukrainian cyber competition. The winners will form the core of the national team representing Ukraine at the European Cybersecurity Challenge 2025 in Poland. Furthermore, finalists will receive scholarships for a master's degree in cybersecurity at SET University.
