Microsoft extends aid for Ukraine’s wartime tech innovation

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Ukraine is counting on more Western technological support as its war against Russia drags on, with Microsoft pledging Thursday to extend its backing for Kyiv’s “extraordinary” wartime innovation through the end of next year.

Microsoft’s financial commitment of more than $400 million enables the Ukraine government and other organizations to continue using the Microsoft cloud and its public data centers across Europe, the company’s president, Brad Smith, announced at the annual Web Summit tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal.

Cloud technology offers resilience and security for Ukraine operations, Smith said, after Russia targeted Ukrainian data centers with air strikes when it invaded more than eight months ago.

The invasion triggered “extraordinary innovation” by the Ukrainian military, Smith said.

Ukraine and Russia are fighting “a new type of war,” with cyberweapons and other types of digital technology playing a pivotal role, he said.

Artificial intelligence deployed by Kyiv, for example, is detecting and thwarting Russian cyberattacks “in the blink of an eye,” according to Smith.

Microsoft is also working with the U.S. Army on AI and image recognition.

Ukraine and Russia are engaged in “a technology war,” according to Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation.

Fedorov, appearing with Smith at a news conference, pointed to the Delta real-time battle management system developed by Ukraine. The situational awareness platform integrates information about the enemy from various sensors and sources, including AI and drones, on a digital map.

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