2025 Summary: A Year for Boryviter

The year 2025 became a period of systematic growth for the Boryviter Military School, including the scaling of training programmes and the strengthening of the organisation’s role in Ukraine’s security and defence sector. Throughout the year, the team focused on training military personnel, expanding expertise, introducing innovations, and integrating Ukraine into Europe’s security architecture to counter shared threats.

Training and Preparation

Throughout 2025, the Boryviter Military School focused on the systematic training of personnel of the Defence Forces of Ukraine, combining professional training, psychological support, and the development of new educational tracks. The main emphasis was on the practical nature of training programmes, adaptation to real combat conditions, and risk reduction at the initial stage of military service.

Over the year, the Boryviter Military School trained more than 7 358 cadets across various training areas. Alongside training, systematic psychological work with service members was carried out. In particular, Boryviter specialists worked with mobilised personnel during an adaptation week before Basic Military Training (BMT) at one of the training centres. This approach helped minimise instances of unauthorised absence (UA) at the early stage of service.

“During the adaptation week, we help service members understand what is happening to them, restore a sense of stability and agency, and see themselves not as a ‘cog’ but as part of a living system. After such work, cadets engage much more effectively in Basic Military Training: internal readiness for learning, discipline, and responsibility increases. A modern army is not only about weapons, but also about specialists with civilian experience, skills, and ways of thinking. Our task is to help them integrate this experience into military reality, understand their role, and find their place in the army. That is when training becomes not a formality, but a real foundation of combat effectiveness,”
— Maryna Hukasian, Head of Psychological Support and Training.

In total, more than 7 775 service members received psychological assistance and support during the year.

In 2025, Boryviter also actively worked on expanding training programmes and areas of instruction.

A significant achievement was the official certification by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine of the training programme for operators of ground robotic systems (GRS). Boryviter was included among the first seven training organisations certified by the Ministry of Defence in this field.

In addition to expanding training programmes, the organisation strengthened its analytical capacity over the year. As part of this effort, the Laboratory of Intelligent Technologies was launched. Its core task is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions into Lessons Learned processes, as well as the improvement of digital tools for military command and control.

Events and Activities

In 2025, the Boryviter Centre of Excellence organised two key events that served as important platforms for presenting the organisation’s work, exchanging experience, and strengthening partnerships within Ukraine’s security and defence sector.

Second Annual Conference

“Lessons Learned in a Dynamic Defence Environment”

From 27 February to 1 March 2025, the Boryviter Centre of Excellence, together with the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the Centre for Technology Scaling (CTS), held a three-day conference aimed at integrating combat Lessons Learned processes into Ukraine’s security and defence sector.

The main goal of the event was to develop a shared understanding of Lessons Learned approaches (Study and Implementation of Experience) among commanders and personnel, and to promote this tool as an effective means of strengthening combat capability.

The conference included discussion panels, practical workshops, and networking sessions that brought together specialists from the General Staff, the Ministry of Defence, CTS, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, representatives of combat units of the National Guard of Ukraine, the Unmanned Systems Forces, the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and other structures.

International partners also participated, including the NATO Representation in Ukraine, JATEC, NATO JALLC, SACT NATO, and the European Security and Defence College (ESDC), enabling an exchange of international experience and strengthening interinstitutional cooperation.

“Wing to Wing”: Partner Event

To mark the third anniversary of the organisation, Boryviter hosted the “Wing to Wing” event, bringing together partners and friends of the organisation—reliable allies in supporting the Defence Forces of Ukraine and advancing professional military training.

On 23 May 2025, the Boryviter team gathered partners to express gratitude for their cooperation, trust, and belief in the importance of systematic training for service members, as well as for their shared commitment to a common goal.

During the event, Boryviter co-founders Tetiana Ostra and Orest Bilous spoke about the organisation’s early years and its development path—from a volunteer initiative to a Centre of Excellence—outlining key stages of formation and growth.

“We are grateful to those who have been with us throughout all three years: who believed in us, supported us, inspired us, motivated us, and continue to do so,”
— Tetiana Ostra.

International Activities and Cooperation

In 2025, Boryviter significantly strengthened engagement with international partners, specifically European and Euro-Atlantic institutions. Over the year, the number of international visits and meetings increased. Both public and closed-format activities took place, aimed at exchanging experience, developing joint initiatives, and integrating Ukrainian expertise into the international security context.

One of the most important achievements of the year was the presentation of the first training course for the European Security and Defence College (ESDC). In cooperation with the Swedish Defence University, the Boryviter Centre of Excellence developed a training programme for military and academic representatives of Europe’s defence community. The course is aimed at improving Lessons Learned methodologies in response to the challenges of modern warfare.

In parallel, in 2025, Boryviter continued cooperation with the NATO–Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC) to create the Lesson Learned Data Exploitation Platform (LL DEP). The initiative focuses on systematising and practically using combat experience data to improve the effectiveness of managerial and operational decision-making in the security and defence sector.

For the first time in 2025, the Boryviter Centre of Excellence presented its activities and results at a dedicated stand at one of Europe’s largest defence exhibitions. On 20–21 August in Copenhagen, the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) brought together defence industry representatives, manufacturers, commanders, and representatives of the Danish Armed Forces and government authorities to establish professional dialogue. Ukrainian companies were also actively involved.

In addition, Boryviter representatives participated in important international public discussions. On 1 April in Brussels, a roundtable was held to strengthen European defence policy. Boryviter co-founder Tetiana Ostra participated in a strategic discussion on Europe’s security challenges through 2030 and Ukraine’s future role in the defense sector.

The roundtable “The White Paper in Practice: Where Ambitions Meet Resources” was organised by the Foreign Policy Council Ukrainian Prism, the Ukrainian Liaison Office for the UA R&D community (GUARD), and Lithuania’s RDI Liaison Office (LINO), with support from the Horizon Europe programme.

The Boryviter Centre of Excellence was an active participant in the discussion, where representatives of the European Commission, civil society organisations, and business explored opportunities for integrating Ukraine into the European defence-industrial ecosystem.

Media Engagement and Projects

In 2025, the Boryviter team continued systematic engagement with Ukrainian media. Throughout the year, Military School experts gave interviews and comments and contributed professional insights to public materials, answering pressing questions and describing the School’s activities.

Boryviter co-founders Orest Bilous and Tetiana Ostra gave an interview to Army TV, where they spoke about the transformation of military education in Ukraine, training priorities, adapting programmes to the needs of service members, and introducing innovative methods in personnel training.

The team also highlighted the value of Boryviter specialists’ expertise developed before the full-scale invasion. In particular, for Gamedev.dou, Ivan Kovalov, Head of the FPV Multirotor track, shared his experience as an indie game developer and spoke about the intersection of game development and drones, teaching during wartime, engineering, management, and how equipment, training approaches, and motivation are evolving.

Throughout the year, Boryviter also focused on disseminating expertise in military command and planning. Oleksii Lytvynenko, Head of the TLP track (2022–2025), presented the printed manual “Unit Command and Control Procedures”.

The manual provides a foundational knowledge base needed by unit commanders to analyse missions effectively and develop courses of action for the most effective execution. It also reflects the specifics of the Ukrainian operational environment and the current situation along the line of contact.

The methodological foundation of the manual is based on NATO standards, while the main content was developed on the basis of internal analytical research and feedback from service members operating directly on the frontline.

Fundraising Campaigns and Partnerships

Partnership initiatives and fundraising campaigns in 2025 became an important component in supporting the training programmes of the Boryviter Military School. Thanks to these partnerships, we were able to scale military training and strengthen the sustainability of training processes throughout the year.

• DOU × JatApp
  Fundraising campaign “Let’s Go, Let’s Fly!”
  We raised funds to train FPV multirotor UAV pilots and to launch a joint project with the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. The campaign ran within the DOU IT community. The JatApp team provided a valuable lot to strengthen the fundraising effort, and Boryviter’s friend Kostiantyn—one of the developers of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2—contributed a unique themed box signed by the development team for the raffle.
  Raised: UAH 1,531,294
  
• PROM.UA
  Customers of the marketplace contributed donations to the “Vahon znan” campaign to train 5,000 defenders.
  Raised: UAH 1,502,981

• Zagin kinomaniv (Vitalii Hordiienko)
  The YouTube channel community supported the Boryviter Military School. For donations from UAH 200, a scale model of the iconic time machine from Back to the Future signed by Christopher Lloyd (who played Doc) was raffled among donors.
  Raised: UAH 1,013,533

• Concert.ua
  On the Concert.ua platform, users could donate to the “Vahon znan” campaign. When purchasing online tickets for events, part of the order amount was directed to support training for service members.
  Raised: over UAH 4,500,000

• box express market
  The neighbourhood convenience-store chain launched the charitable “FREEDOM Pizza 2.0” for a second time to raise funds for training UAV operators.
  Fundraising target: UAH 1,000,000 (campaign ongoing)

• ZMIN Foundation × Sebto Media
  The independent Lviv-based Sebto Media collected donations throughout September during the “Rankove Dopio” podcast to support the “Vahon znan” fundraising campaign. The community raised UAH 100,000, and the ZMIN Foundation doubled the contribution.
  Raised: UAH 200,000

• UKRNAFTA
  Joint project “Good Morning, Ukraine!”
  For Ukraine’s Independence Day, 25 designs of coffee cups were developed to represent all regions of Ukraine—24 oblasts and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. For each cup of coffee, JSC Ukrnafta donated UAH 5 to support the training of service members at Boryviter.
  Raised: UAH 4,000,000

• Ukrainian Toronto Television YouTube Community
  The community actively supported the “Vahon znan” campaign—two themed charity streams were held.
  Raised: UAH 4,617,576

• UZSPACE
  A charitable collection of bottles and stickers was created in support of the “Vahon znan” campaign.

• Escobar
  Escobar Coffee Roastery has supported the Boryviter Military School for more than four years, providing coffee and tea for cadets. In 2025, Escobar created a unique charitable microlot coffee, with proceeds directed to training service members.

• Creative Festival “Lesia Kvartyrynka”
  During the 16th “Lesia Kvartyrynka” festival, the team supported the “Wagon of Knowledge” campaign through an auxiliary donation jar. Together with the Opora Poruch initiative and KMA Help, the community contributed funds to support military training.
  Raised: UAH 800,000

• SOVA × KOLA
  Together with the SOVA jewellery house and singer KOLA, a charitable jewellery collection was developed for 14 February. Part of the proceeds is directed to training service members at Boryviter.
  Raised: over UAH 170,000
  (cooperation ongoing)

Partner Acknowledgements

We thank our partners for their sustained cooperation and consistent support of training for service members. Thanks to the joint efforts of the Serhii Prytula Charity Foundation, Astarta-Kyiv, the ZMIN Foundation, Dmytro Dubrovskyi, UKRNAFTA, RAU, MHC Investment, Djinni, Prom.UA, the Fedor Shpyh Charity Foundation, Escobar Coffee Roasters, Yappi Corporate, “Terrytoriia Minimalnykh Tsin” (Territory of Minimum Prices), EcoCup, SVARGA, IAROS, Vyriy Drone, the Semantrum service, Creatio, the electronic document workflow service Vchasno, and the MIM-Kyiv business school, we were able to strengthen military training and contribute to reinforcing Ukraine’s defence capability.