Three weeks ago, the Russian army began invading Ukraine. The conflict has been going on for a long time. The Ukrainian government reacted quickly to the digital front. Representatives called out tech companies so that they would suspend sales and services in Russia and organize a digital resistance.
Mykhailo Fedorov is a public figure that embodies the government's reaction to the Russian invasion. He became the first minister of Digital Transformation in Ukraine at the age of 28. He is the vice prime minister. The country's deputy minister for Digital Transformation, Oleksandr (Alex) Bornyakov, was interviewed last week.
Mykhailo Fedorov said that their vision was to build the world's most convenient country in terms of digitally available public services.
The Ukrainian government already sees the benefits of its digital transformation efforts, even though many of those projects are currently on hold. Fedorov is active on the digital diplomacy front. He is aware that Big Tech companies have become more powerful in international relations. He is doing everything he can to have them on the other side.
Fedorov shared some insights about what it is like to participate in a government during a war in an interview with a translator. The interview was slightly edited for clarity.
Where are you right now? Do you have a current personal situation?
Mykhailo Fedorov is at the center of action. I can't give you a location for security reasons, but I can assure you that we stay in touch with the president's team 24/7.
I'm sure your daily life is different now than it was a few months ago. Can you tell us about your day-to-day job during the war against Russia?
We are very young. President Zelensky created us when he was elected to implement important parts of his program. I was the head of his digital campaign before the election. We joined forces to implement his vision of a digital country after he was elected.
Our vision with President Zelensky was to build the world's most convenient country in terms of digitally available public services. Our goal was to create a government that offered services in a double tap. They would be semi-automated with no interference from public officials. We tried to be more representative of the ride-sharing service than the government would be.
Is there a way to use the digital public services to help Ukrainians?
A factory has been created to launch public services. Our app has 15 million users. It's enabled by the interactions of all of the government-run databases that we've been able to implement through this period of time, and also by our management structure, which has been fine-tuned to basically launch new services and provide these things.
We have been able to offer cash payouts to people who have been forced to leave their homes because of combat. Free public television and free radio can be embedded. The army can now raise money through official channels.
We have services that allow us to report on enemy movements as well. We have been able to launch that in a couple of days since the war started.
Our internal ID is a very specific document and not everyone has it. During war time, we have been able to launch an additional document that has all of the vital information for internal mobility and getting public services no matter who you are and where you are. If your property has been damaged or destroyed in the war, we are working on a service to give you an inventory of it.
These services show that you can get a good internet connection. What is the current status of cellular and landline service?
Our telecom industry has made us very stable and confident. They work around the clock and I think they are real heroes. Whenever there is an outage, they fix it.
We are able to maintain stable internet in most of the country. There are more Starlink terminals in the EU than anywhere else.
What is the plan for sensitive data that you hold from the government and the army? Is data based in Ukraine right now? Do you have plans to relocate data to foreign countries to prepare for a worst case scenario?
Building a digital state increases your exposure, which means that we are very serious about the security of our data. The Russian Federation has been targeting us with cyber attacks as we build our digital state.
I think that, in the future, governments will resemble tech companies, not classical governments. Mykhailo Fedorov
I would like to say that our data is safe. We have backups. Consistency and safety of the data are ensured by means. No matter what happens, our services will be available for Ukrainian citizens.
I want to talk about corporate sanctions against Russia, because you have been calling out companies on social media and in the media, saying that companies from Europe and North America should suspend sales in Russia. Do you think this idea is effective?
This project is called a digital blockade. This is a very important component to winning this war. In the future, I think governments will be similar to tech companies.
Digital platforms can provide vital services. They have become part of the fabric of society. You damage the fabric of society when you remove these services from the other person, and make them uncomfortable to go along with their daily lives.
We would like to think of this as a completely new battlefield. We expect this measure to push the development of Russia back decades.
When you create these unfavorable conditions in Russia, you’re likely to cause the tech talent to move elsewhere. Mykhailo Fedorov
I think that high-tech businesses add value. That's the reason thatTesla is worth more than Gazprom. People who create this added value are very mobile and nomadic. You are likely to cause the tech talent to move elsewhere if you create unfavorable conditions in Russia.
We are committed to making this digital blockade as thorough and comprehensive as we can. Russian tanks and soldiers are leaving our country and killing our people.
Do you think some companies have done enough to stop doing business in Russia?
I would like to call out the company that I think is the most important. It is a German company that provides the software for banks. They contribute to the war by providing infrastructure to Russian companies and paying taxes in Russia. They support the army that is killing people.
Can you talk about the tech community in Ukraine right now? We would like to know how tech talent in Ukraine is reacting to what's happening in the tech community.
There are a lot of tech talent in Ukraine. Most of the international companies have been able to maintain their operations in Ukraine. It has been challenging but most of them are doing it.
We try to cater to the needs of our tech companies by providing them with broadband internet, with safe locations, and some tax incentives. Should they have problems, we aim to be their one-stop shop.
According to a report, the Ukrainian army has been using facial recognition technology. Can you tell us more about this partnership?
The project is in the very early stages. I wouldn't be able to comment on the progress but I would be happy to share the results once we have them.
What kind of use cases do you have in mind?
Most of the use cases would not be public and we wouldn't be able to share them publicly.
We work with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. We would be trying to find out who the Russian forces who have been killed or taken prisoner are. The Russian government starts to deny their presence and send them without documents.
People who cross our roadblock would be checked out. Someone would be looking for missing people.
Ukraine deputy minister talks IT Army and deploying $25M in donated crypto
I would like to ask you about the donations of cryptocurrencies. Can you give us an update on your strategy?
We have raised $55 million so far. All of that was directed towards the needs of the Ukrainian army.
We are trying to become a country that is friendly with the digital currency. I can give you more information. The law on virtual assets was adopted by the Parliament. I think the president will sign it in a few days. We want to be friendly to virtual assets. During war time, we are continuing this effort as well.
There is a new law on cryptocurrencies in Ukraine. How does it work as a government member? How do you work with the rest of the government to pass new laws?
That is an excellent question. Our government is working hard during the war. We're not working on Saturdays or Sundays. We used to have weekly cabinet meetings before the war, but now they are held daily.
I’d like to say thank you to the entire tech community because I believe that the tech community has chosen our side. Mykhailo Fedorov
The brave men and women in our armed forces are defending our country day and night without any weekends or holidays. We are doing the same thing.
We are working on both the military and tech side. We are working on the economy. Our government has been working hard to liberalize the economy and remove all obstacles. We are making tax rules simpler. Despite the war, we are opening up our customs and trying to develop our country economically.
I asked everything I could about the current state. We can talk every week or every couple of weeks if you're willing. I would like to thank you for your answers.
I would like to organize a follow-up call. I'd like to say a few words in the end, if you could.
I would like to thank the entire tech community for choosing our side, which is obviously the side of good. We can feel it in our hearts and in the actions of the tech community, and we are very grateful for that.
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