Ukraine has officially launched the development of a national large language model (LLM), marking a major step in strengthening its digital sovereignty and AI capabilities. The initiative is led by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine through its WINWIN AI Center of Excellence, in strategic partnership with Kyivstar, the country’s largest telecommunications provider.
This public-private cooperation brings together the Ukrainian government and one of its leading tech companies to develop an advanced AI model tailored to the Ukrainian language, culture, and institutional needs. Unlike generic global models, Ukraine’s LLM will be pre-trained on curated Ukrainian datasets, enabling it to grasp local dialects, legal and educational terminology, historical references, and societal context.
The LLM will serve as foundational infrastructure for AI-powered services in both government and business domains. Planned applications include:
- Digital assistants in public platforms such as Diia;
- Legal and legislative analysis tools;
- Personalized education services through national edtech platforms.
By building its own model, Ukraine aims to reduce reliance on foreign technologies, ensure secure handling of sensitive data, and lower the cost of AI services for local users. The project is expected to spark new AI startups, attract investment, and increase the country’s technological independence.
Kyivstar will lead the technical implementation. Leveraging its AI expertise and access to global best practices via parent company VEON, Kyivstar will coordinate development using open-source frameworks, with no direct government funding. The first version of the model is expected by December 2025.
Researchers, linguists, and AI developers are invited to contribute to this national initiative. To get involved, contact: ai@thedigital.gov.ua.
