Lessons from the Ukrainian War and the Role of Private Digital Infrastructures
The war in Ukraine has become a defining case study for understanding the transformation of modern conflict through digital infrastructures. Unlike previous wars where the decisive factor lay in the mobilization of industrial capacity or the deployment of conventional firepower, the Ukrainian experience demonstrates that resilient communications networks, data integration platforms, and digital services are now central to sustaining combat power. The rapid deployment of commercial satellite internet, the use of advanced software for data fusion, and the integration of open-source intelligence into targeting processes highlight how private-sector technologies can determine the tempo and resilience of military operations. This experience has reshaped expectations about what makes a state militarily effective in the twenty-first century: not only the size of its arsenal, but its ability to access, secure, and operationalize digital infrastructures owned and operated by corporations. The Ukrainian case thus illustrates that the boundaries between military and civilian, public and private, are increasingly blurred in war.