Estonia and Ukraine develop secure digital tools to document Russian war crimes and trace missing children

The two projects focus on protecting highly sensitive information while making it possible for investigators and relevant authorities to share and analyze data.

"One of the projects is finding cyber-secure ways to exchange evidence of war crimes, and the second is digital forensics aimed at bringing the children back. These are two areas that involve many complex questions to be solved," Pakosta said.

The minister emphasized that records of missing children and evidence of Russian war crimes require particularly strong protection against cyberattacks.

"If we find - and we are finding - extremely secure ways to exchange evidence and information on Russian war crimes, as well as materials from various databases regarding missing children, it means we are solving the most critical issues for sensitive data," she said.

"This is precisely the data that Russia is extremely interested in attacking. Ultimately, we are addressing issues of utmost importance for democracy globally."

Pakosta said the challenges extend beyond Ukraine, as protecting sensitive records and maintaining trustworthy channels for sharing evidence are fundamental to democratic institutions worldwide.

The minister also said she plans to visit Ukraine in 2027.

Estonia, a pioneer in digital public services, has been drawing on Ukraine's experience defending government systems against Russian cyberattacks.

Pakosta previously described Ukraine as both the "best and worst example of scaling," noting that the country had adopted and expanded digital solutions originally developed in Estonia while testing their resilience under the pressures of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The minister did not announce a timeline for completing the two projects.