The Ukrainian Esports Federation served as the technical organizer of the charitable CyberWar Cup—a Counter-Strike 2 tournament featuring teams from four combat units: the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Third Army Corps, the Khartiya Corps, and the Security Service of Ukraine. The competition took place on August 23, on the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day.
In its report, the Ukrainian Esports Federation outlined the key details and highlights of the tournament.
The CyberWar Cup brought military personnel together in a competition for a common goal
The CyberWar Cup has been running for over a year. In March 2026, it began as a competition among members of the First Line special forces unit and later evolved into a full-fledged media charity project involving four units. This time, the goal was to raise 2,000,000 hryvnias. Each team consisted of five military personnel, with a sixth member serving as a “media captain”—a blogger or public figure who helped attract an audience to the broadcast and raise funds.
The Third Army Corps won the tournament. Second place went to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, third place went to the Khartiya Corps, and fourth place went to the SSU team.
Each unit had its own fundraising goal. The Third Army Corps raised funds for autonomous power sources, EcoFlow generators, and drone components. The Main Intelligence Directorate raised funds for vehicles, their repairs, and autonomous power supplies. Khartiya raised funds for drones, UAV equipment, and communications, while the SSU raised funds for EcoFlow units, drone detectors, FPV equipment, and Starlink Mini.
For the Ukrainian Esports Federation, led by Maksym Krippa, the CyberWar Cup marked another step forward in the development of military and veteran esports. As a reminder, the Ukrainian Esports Federation, together with its partners, previously held the nationwide “Veterans Games—Esports” tournament. A total of 289 military personnel registered for the competition, including 130 veterans and 76 people with war-related disabilities. Providing technical support for such competitions is one of the ways the federation assists the military.
“Initiatives like this are truly important. First and foremost, I see the emotions of the fighters themselves and how much they sometimes need to switch gears and take a mental break. I’m a big fan of the concept of sporting competitions—such as boxing tournaments within units—which also help them let off some steam. This time, it was particularly interesting to see representatives from different units on the same playing field. It’s important that such fierce competition between them takes place specifically in the realm of esports. I’m confident that in the future we’ll continue to develop and expand these tournaments to support the soldiers and their units,” said UESF CEO Andriy Gryshchenko.
He also thanked the MK Foundation for the vehicle donated to meet the transportation needs of a unit of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
Esports as a Tool for Providing Assistance
In addition to providing technical support for the tournament, the UESF, together with the MK Foundation, has stepped in to address an urgent transportation need of a DIU unit. Between July 15 and August 15, the military lost three vehicles as a result of combat operations. The MK Foundation will provide the unit with the necessary vehicles to help restore its mobility.
The MK Foundation specializes in targeted assistance in the areas of logistical support and humanitarian demining. The foundation works to save lives through modern technologies, automation, and the use of robots and drones, as well as by enhancing the mobility and protection of specialists working on the front lines.
The CyberWar Cup demonstrates how the esports community can use competitions to address important social issues. The combination of competitive matches, media coverage, charitable fundraising, and a large online audience allows for the simultaneous development of esports and support for the military. The UESF plans to continue supporting such projects and developing military and veteran esports in Ukraine.