5 Cyber Developments From Europe and Ukraine You Might Have Missed

Facing relentless cyberattacks, the European Union and its member states are building out defenses for themselves and for frontline neighbors like Ukraine. These mechanisms span government, the private sector, and international organizations.

In June 2026, the European Union and NATO launched a wave of initiatives that further integrate Ukraine into Europe’s cybersecurity architecture. The United States is participating in several of these initiatives through NATO and U.S.-based private-sector organizations, and the month’s developments highlight opportunities to deepen transatlantic cooperation in support of Ukraine’s cyber defense and Europe’s broader security.

1. Europe is preparing to defend its rail and maritime infrastructure from cyberattacks.

On June 10 and June 11, more than 5,000 cybersecurity experts from across the European Union and European Free Trade Association participated in the eighth edition of Cyber Europe, a series of cyber crisis management exercises. This year’s scenario simulated coordinated cyberattacks on Europe’s rail and maritime sectors, including disruptions to port logistics and railway operations. The exercise also tested for the first time the implementation of the 2025 EU Cyber Blueprint, a mechanism that establishes how EU institutions and member states should coordinate their response to large-scale cyber incidents.

The exercise reflects Europe’s growing recognition that transportation has become one of its most strategically vulnerable sectors due to the ongoing Russian aggression on the continent. As the United States relies on commercially operated transportation infrastructure to deploy and sustain forces in support of NATO allies, strengthening the cyber resilience of these networks is essential to military mobility on both sides of the Atlantic. Cyber Europe 2026 also marked the first operational test of the EU Cybersecurity Reserve. The reserve, which is managed by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, maintains a group of trusted cyber incident response providers that member states and partner countries can call on during major cybersecurity incidents.

2. The EU is investing in Ukraine’s long-term cyber resilience.

On June 10, as part of Cyber Europe 2026, the European Union launched EU4CyberUA, an $11.5 million, four-year initiative designed to strengthen Ukraine’s cybersecurity capabilities. An adjacent goal of the initiative is to support Ukraine’s alignment with European cybersecurity standards as part of its EU accession process. Implemented by Ukraine’s State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection together with Spain’s FIAP and Estonia’s e-Governance Academy, the project focuses on protecting critical infrastructure, modernizing government information systems, expanding cooperation with European cybersecurity agencies, and training cybersecurity professionals. It will also establish regional cybersecurity centers and an international training and testing center for cyber incident simulations.

3. Ukraine is gaining access to the EU’s emergency cyber reserve.

On June 15, the Council of the European Union also approved Ukraine’s inclusion in the EU Cybersecurity Reserve, a mechanism tested during Cyber Europe a few days prior. Ukraine is the second non-EU country granted access. Moldova joined in 2025 prior to its parliamentary election amid growing concerns about potential Russian cyber operations and influence campaigns.

For Ukraine, the decision provides access to operational cyber assistance when responding to large-scale Russian attacks targeting government systems or critical infrastructure. The decision also expands the scope of Ukraine’s participation in the Digital Europe Programme, the European Union’s $9 billion funding program that invests in strategic digital capabilities, including AI, supercomputing, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and digital infrastructure. While Ukraine has participated in the program since 2022, access to the Cybersecurity Reserve marks its first involvement in the program’s cybersecurity pillar.

4. NATO and the EU are folding cyber defense into military planning.

On June 22, NATO Headquarters hosted the 25th European Union Military Staff-NATO International Military Staff Directors’ General Conference, where senior military officials reviewed ongoing cooperation between the two organizations. Discussions covered military mobility, intelligence sharing, logistics, space, cyber defense, and continued support for Ukraine, underscoring the growing role of cybersecurity threats within broader European defense planning.

The conference is another reflection of a broader shift in how Europe is responding to Russian hybrid threats. NATO and the European Union are increasingly integrating cyber defense into military planning and collective deterrence. As Russia continues to use cyber operations alongside conventional military force, cyber defense has become an essential component of protecting Europe’s critical infrastructure and support for Ukraine. The inclusion of Ukraine in these discussions further demonstrates Western commitment to making the country an integral part of Europe’s growing collective cybersecurity architecture. For the United States, the conference reinforces the importance of institutional integration, particularly between NATO and the European Union as complementary partners, as cyber defense, military mobility, and support for Ukraine become increasingly interconnected.

5. Cyber resilience is now a key pillar of Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction.

At the Ukraine Recovery Conference on June 25 and June 26 in Gdansk, Poland, officials named cybersecurity one of Ukraine’s long-term recovery pillars. Discussions emphasized that rebuilding Ukraine is no longer limited to restoring physical assets. Protecting digital infrastructure, strengthening cyber resilience, advancing secure digital governance, and aligning with European standards are increasingly viewed as essential conditions for sustainable reconstruction and future EU membership.

The conference demonstrated that cyber resilience is also increasingly viewed as an economic and security imperative. Alongside policy discussions, partners announced new initiatives to strengthen Ukraine’s digital infrastructure, including Microsoft’s decision to extend free cloud and cybersecurity support for Ukrainian government institutions through 2027. As reconstruction discussions become more frequent, the United States has an opportunity to capitalize on private-sector strengths, providing continued funding and support for Ukraine’s cybersecurity.

Johanna “Jo” Yang is a policy analyst at the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI) at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where Kateryna “Katya” Kvasha is an intern. For more analysis from the authors and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow FDD on X @FDD and @FDD_CCTI. Follow Jo on X @JohannaYang_. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.