The Ukrainian Esports Federation served as the technical organizer of CyberWar Cup — a charity Counter-Strike 2 tournament that brought together teams from four combat units: the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR MO), the Third Army Corps, the Khartiya Corps, and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The event took place on August 23 — ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day.
Esports, the Military, and Charity in One Format
CyberWar Cup has existed for over a year and has come a long way — from its first tournament between members of the First Line special unit in March 2026 to a full-scale media charity project featuring four units, media captains, and a shared goal of raising 2,000,000 hryvnias. Each team consisted of five participants, with a media representative — a blogger or public figure — joining them on the server to engage their own audience in watching the matches and participating in the fundraiser.
The Third Army Corps Won
The winner of the tournament was the Third Army Corps. The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine finished second, the Khartiya Corps third, and the SBU fourth.
The funds raised are directed toward specific needs of each unit. The Third Army Corps raised funds for autonomous power sources, EcoFlow generators, and drone components. HUR — for vehicles and their repair, as well as autonomous power sources. Khartiya — for drones, UAV equipment, and communications. The SBU — for EcoFlow units, drone detection equipment, FPV gear, and Starlink Mini.
For UESF, This Is Part of a Broader Effort to Support Military Esports
For the Ukrainian Esports Federation, CyberWar Cup is a continuation of its systematic work in supporting veteran and military esports. Technical organization of events like this is one of the practical ways the federation contributes to supporting Ukraine’s defenders.
“Initiatives like this are very important. First and foremost, I see the emotions and engagement of the fighters themselves — I see how effective it can be to switch off and get some mental rest. I like the concept of competitive sports showdowns, and I want to highlight, for example, boxing tournaments held within units, which also help let off steam.
It’s interesting that this time around, representatives of different structures came together — and it’s vitally important that only on a battlefield like this, a cyber one, could there be such fierce battles between them.
I’m confident we will continue to improve and expand tournaments like this in support of fighters and their units.
I also want to separately thank the MK Foundation for providing a vehicle to meet the transport needs of the HUR MO unit,” — UESF CEO Andrii Gryshchenko.
UESF and MK Foundation Addressed the HUR Unit’s Transport Need
Separately from the technical organization, UESF and MK Foundation together carried out a charitable initiative to meet the HUR unit’s urgent need for transport. In the period from July 15 to August 15 alone, the unit lost three vehicles — they were hit and destroyed during combat operations. As part of the initiative, the MK Foundation is facilitating the transfer of a necessary vehicle to restore the unit’s mobility.
About MK Foundation
MK Foundation is a fund for targeted, competent assistance in the area of logistics and humanitarian demining. The foundation’s mission is to save as many lives in Ukraine as possible through the introduction of cutting-edge technologies, process automation using robots and drones, and improving the mobility and protective equipment of specialists on the front line.
The scale of the problem the foundation addresses is striking: the average service life of a vehicle at the front is 10 to 15 days. Each year, the army requires tens of thousands of vehicles. Beyond transport, the need for medical vehicles remains critical — in just the first six months of the full-scale war, Ukraine lost 331 ambulances.
MK Foundation plans to provide logistical support until active hostilities on Ukrainian territory come to an end.
Esports as a Tool for Support
CyberWar Cup is an example of how the esports community can come together around important social goals. A tournament between combat units with media coverage, a charity fundraiser, and a broad online audience — this is a model that simultaneously promotes esports and raises real support for Ukraine’s defenders. UESF will continue to support initiatives like this and develop the veteran and military esports direction in Ukraine.
