Dorozvidka #37: Serhii Sternenko, Yaroslav Kalinin, Mykyta Rozhkov, Makar, digital officers, and the Oppenheimer podcast

This week, Defender Media will publish two editions of Dorozvidka. The first is the traditional one — it brings together the most interesting interviews, op-eds, and social media posts from key figures in Ukraine’s defence tech sector over the past week. You will learn:

• What 7,000 digital officers in the Security and Defence Forces will actually do;
• Why Infozahyst CEO Yaroslav Kalinin describes the market’s competition for engineers as “cannibalism”;
• How the Sternenko Community Foundation contributes to drone development;
• How Frontline Robotics raised investment from Quantum Systems;
• What was discussed in the inaugural podcast of the Oppenheimer accelerator.

7,000 digital officers to join Ukraine’s Security and Defence Forces

More than 7,000 digital officers will soon be deployed across all commands and service branches of Ukraine’s Security and Defence Forces — starting from battalion level. The update comes from First Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Their tasks will include:

• implementing systems within units;
• collecting and providing feedback;
• understanding real operational needs;
• serving as customers and architects of solutions;
• shaping IT culture within the Defence Forces.

According to Fedorov, this new structure will accelerate the military’s digital transformation, facilitate the integration of digital products more effectively, enable systematic feedback, and scale the best military-driven initiatives.

Mykyta Rozhkov of Frontline Robotics — on investing in Ukrainian defence tech

In a new episode of Zbroia, produced by Militarnyi in collaboration with the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry, Mykyta Rozhkov, Business Development Director at Frontline Robotics, discusses the defence investment market and how to effectively attract investors to a defence project.

Key topics:

• What Frontline Robotics is working on;
• How the company secured investment from Quantum Systems;
• The current investment landscape in Ukrainian defence tech;
• Terms on which funds invest in companies;
• Technologies that investors are most interested in;
• The role of associations in attracting investment;
• How exports impact the investment market.

Infozahyst CEO on engineer shortages, exporting without illusions, and defence tech challenges

Over the course of two years of full-scale war, Infozahyst has expanded from 200 to 400 specialists. The company develops SIGINT, electronic warfare systems, and high-frequency technical solutions for defence, requiring engineers with skills that are rare in the Ukrainian market.

In an interview with DOU, company CEO Yaroslav Kalinin explains why “cannibalism” for engineers is happening, why manufacturers need to expand abroad to remain in Ukraine, and how to prepare for reduced state orders after the war.

Serhii Sternenko at Brave1 Components

The surprise guest at an open interview during the Brave1 Components conference was Serhii Sternenko, volunteer and founder of the Sternenko Community Foundation. Journalist Kateryna Suprun asked him about the evolution of Shahed-type drones, the role of interceptors in air defence, the foundation’s involvement in drone development, recognition and cueing systems, ground-based strike systems, and more.

Oppenheimer launches a podcast on investing in defence tech

The US-Ukrainian accelerator of defence startups, Oppenheimer, has launched its own podcast — aimed at those interested in venture capital or already investing and considering defence tech as a new direction for their portfolio.

In the first episode, Oppenheimer Managing Partner in the US Oleksandr Soroka, Managing Partner for Ukraine and the EU Valerii Omelchenko, and Lead Defence Tech Analyst Pavlo Odnokoza discuss how investor attitudes toward defence tech have changed since 2022, why the drone market is no longer the main focus, and which solutions today hold greater investment value — from component technologies to R&D teams.

Additional attention is given to air defence systems, reactive interceptors, AI-guided targeting, dual-use solutions, and the first signs of new investment waves — in space and underwater systems.