The WINWIN AI Center of Excellence under the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine (MDTU) and Kyivstar, a leading electronic communications operator, are launching the development of a national Large Language Model (LLM). This model will be integrated into digital government and business AI products, aiming to make services more user-friendly and help organizations operate more efficiently.
An LLM is a neural network that functions similarly to the human brain, capable of analyzing and generating text. These models serve as the foundation for chatbots, AI assistants, and more.
Enhancing Public and Private Sector Services
The government plans to leverage this language model to create AI products that enhance citizen convenience and improve internal processes. MDTU, through its WINWIN AI Center of Excellence (which is already developing over 10 AI solutions for the ministry), intends to launch an AI assistant in Diia (Ukraine’s e-governance app), tools for legislative analysis, and services within Mriya (an educational app) to create personalized educational pathways for schoolchildren.
Unparalleled Accuracy and Security
The Ukrainian LLM is expected to provide more accurate responses than global models because it will be pre-trained on Ukrainian data. It will better understand linguistic nuances—dialects, terminology, context—and be well-versed in topics related to Ukrainian history, culture, and societal experience. This ensures the model’s responses will be correct not only linguistically but also in content.
Crucially, the national LLM will enable the storage and processing of data within the country, which is vital for security in defense, government institutions, healthcare, and finance. The model will ensure the protection of personal data and Ukraine’s national security as AI is integrated into various sectors.
“The creation of a Ukrainian LLM is an important step towards Ukraine’s leadership in the field of AI. As a state, we will be able to create convenient AI services for citizens and make artificial intelligence an assistant to the government. At the same time, this AI will be of high quality and safe for citizens. Thus, AI will become part of defense, education, science, and other strategic areas. On the other hand, the national LLM will enable businesses to create innovative products—cheaper, safer, and adapted to the Ukrainian context,” stated Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science, and Technology.
Collaborative Development and Governance
MDTU will coordinate the model’s development process and shape its technological and ethical vision. This includes establishing all key structures for high-quality model development: a coordinating committee, an ethical board, and a technical board.
- The coordinating committee will be responsible for the vision and strategy of development, comprising representatives from MDTU, WINWIN AI Center of Excellence, other relevant state institutions, Kyivstar, and the ethical and technical boards.
- The ethical board will monitor compliance with legislation and the model’s ethical standards.
- The technical board will be responsible for the architecture, model training on data, and more.
- The actual model development will be carried out by a project office formed by Kyivstar as the operational executor.
MDTU will oversee the data collection for model training, engaging state and private institutions such as universities, scientific organizations, national libraries, and intellectual foundations. Training data will come from open-source Ukrainian-language sources, compiled into datasets. Personal data, registry data, or any other sensitive information will not be used for pre-training.
Kyivstar: A Strategic Technological Partner
Kyivstar, a national electronic communications operator, has become the state’s strategic partner in creating the national LLM. The company actively invests in new technologies and digital services, possesses deep AI expertise, and integrates AI solutions into its long-term technological transformation strategy. Kyivstar combines language models and modern Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) systems with real business processes, service support, and data analysis, adhering to high safety and ethical standards.
Kyivstar has direct access to international experience through its parent company, VEON, which has successfully implemented national AI projects. This partnership positions Kyivstar as a reliable technological partner at the outset, ensuring a rapid launch and the creation of an LLM maximally adapted to Ukraine’s language and culture.
“Participation in the creation of the national Ukrainian LLM is a natural step for Kyivstar as a technology leader, as our strategic goals completely align with the state’s vision for AI development. Together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation, we want to create an open national ecosystem where business, government, and science will jointly develop Ukrainian AI infrastructure to ensure Ukraine’s technological sovereignty and support national digital services,” said Oleksandr Komarov, CEO of Kyivstar.
Economic Benefits and Future Plans
Using the Ukrainian-language model will be cheaper for Ukrainian users compared to English-language counterparts. After development and a testing period, the model will become the property of the state. Once ready, the state will have immediate and free access to use it.
The emergence of a Ukrainian-language LLM is expected to foster new AI startups, attract international investments into the country, and boost GDP through the development of AI solutions for various economic sectors.
The foundation for the national model will be an open-source solution, without the involvement of state funds. The first version of the model is planned to be launched by December 2025.
