Ukraine’s defense ministry rolls out electronic signature to handle supply orders

In a move to cut down paperwork for the military, Ukraine’s Ministry said on Tuesday it is ‘digitalizing’ the way Ukrainian Armed Forces handle their supply orders.  The military will use Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) system allowing troops to sign off on primary documents electronically.

Signed by the Minister of Defense, the policy marks another milestone in the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to “modernize its operations through innovative technology”.

The electronic signature system  is a key step towards the implementation of DOT-Chain, a cutting-edge IT system developed by the “State Logistics Operator.” This system is specifically designed to manage the logistical needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Thanks to this new digital tool, military personnel can now electronically sign off on expense reports, acts, and complaints without the need for any paper duplicates.

The new system also minimizes the risk of errors due to human factors and enables faster responses to the needs of soldiers. “This is another step toward creating a modern and efficient logistics system that meets today’s challenges,” said deputy defense minister Dmytro Klimenkov.

Earlier this year, the Ukrainian army updated the rules for submitting and reviewing military reports to “protect the rights of service members, establish clear timelines for processing requests, and increase the accountability of commanding officers”.

In 2025, the deadliest year yet for civilians, Ukraine’s three largest charitable foundations raised a record 105.9 billion hryvnias. It is more than the years 2022–2024 combined. According to the UN, humanitarian aid in Ukraine was delivered by more than 450 organisations, reaching five million people over the course of the year. Civic foundations hold licences to purchase lethal weapons, which is a function states have monopolised for centuries. These record sums were underwritten by international government grants, which means foreign states now channel billions directly through Ukrainian civic funds, bypassing inter-state channels. It is hard to imagine a stronger institutional trust in civil society.

During the GLOBSEC Defence Forum 2026 in Prague, representatives of “Steel Front”, an initiative by Rinat Akhmetov, discussed with NATO delegations, military officials, and representatives of the European defense industry the lessons learned from Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

After the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine witnessed an unprecedented wave of private support for the army. Citizens, big businesses, charitable foundations, and international philanthropists began financing the country’s defense alongside state assistance provided by international partners. Estimates of total private contributions range from tens to hundreds of billions of hryvnias. However, determining the exact amount remains difficult. In many cases, companies combine military aid, humanitarian programs, tax payments, social spending, and employee support in their reporting.

Rinat Akhmetov’s military initiative, “Steel Front”, has delivered a batch of drones worth UAH 214 million to the 1st “Azov” Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine. This shipment is part of the Metinvest Group’s ongoing support for the unit in 2025.

On October 6, the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court of Ukraine continued hearing case No. 990/80/25, in which the fifth President and leader of the party “European Solidarity”, Petro Poroshenko, seeks to have Presidential Decree No. 81/2025 from February 12, 2025 — enacting sanctions by the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) — declared illegal and annulled. The plaintiff claims the document was falsified and that the sanctions are a tool of political persecution of the opposition, contrary to international norms. Government representatives deny the allegations and insist their actions were lawful. Journalists of Bukvy were present at the hearing.