Ukrainian soldiers, defense companies, and foreign governments are rushing to sign up for a new portal where Kyiv is offering access to captured Russian military hardware — and what’s inside.
Yurii Myronenko, the inspector general for Ukraine’s defense ministry, told Business Insider on Friday that 150 users have already registered for the new “TrophyLab” portal in its first week. Roughly a third of the requests came from abroad.
This portal contains technical data from Russian weapons like drones, missiles, and armored vehicles, which approved users can access in a first-of-its-kind information-sharing arrangement between Ukraine and its Western partners.
Myronenko, a key figure behind TrophyLab’s development, described this project in an interview as an “unprecedented” effort to expose not only Russian military secrets, but also those collected from North Korean weapons.
The hope among Ukrainian officials is that by consolidating this data and making it public, Kyiv and its allies will learn how to stop the Russian war machine — now and in the future.
“The better we understand the enemy’s equipment and weapons, the faster we can develop effective countermeasures,” Myronenko said, speaking through a translator.
A win-win for Ukraine and its allies
Viacheslav Madiievskyi/Ukrinform via Reuters Connect
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Kyiv has regularly shared intelligence with the US, NATO, and its Western backers, including information about the weapons it faced on the battlefield.
However, Myronenko said that “such decisions were made on a case-by-case basis by the highest military and political leadership, and it was made within the framework of existing agreements between the two countries.”
During the second half of last year, Ukraine decided to digitize data it had gathered from captured Russian weaponry so it could consolidate information from different units and enable rapid access to it.
Ukraine wanted the platform to be available across its defense ecosystem, from research organizations, military units, and government agencies to defense-tech manufacturers, as well as foreign governments, arms makers, and laboratories, including those in NATO countries.
“We are obliged to share this information with the Ukrainian defense manufacturers, Myronenko said. Kyiv procures a lot of local products, especially drones and electronic warfare systems.
It’s a win-win for Ukraine to share the information abroad, he said. Ukraine has a well-developed research apparatus capable of studying the captured hardware, but some foreign countries have advanced labs with a high level of specialization in areas such as optical equipment or satellite navigation.
Ukraine’s partners benefit from the information on Russian weapons, and Kyiv benefits from their research.
Courtesy of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
The portal was complicated and involved months of work, including legal considerations, organization and coordination among military units, and technical development. Ukraine’s defense ministry officially launched TrophyLab on June 19.
“We are opening access to captured Russian weapon technologies for our global partners. Every missile, drone, and vehicle seized on the battlefield is now a source of knowledge for the free world,” Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s defense minister, said in a statement.
“What was meant to be the enemy’s secret advantage is being dismantled to defend democracy,” he added.
Missiles, drones, and armored vehicles.
The TrophyLab portal features more than 150 samples of captured weapons and military equipment across roughly 80 distinct categories, as well as over 225 completed research projects. And that is all expected to grow.
The weapons in the portal include Russian ballistic and cruise missiles, one-way attack and reconnaissance drones, air defense systems, small arms, armored vehicles, artillery pieces, and electronic equipment, among other weaponry.
Notably, the catalog of weapons also includes North Korea’s KN-23, a short-range ballistic missile that Russia has used throughout the war, according to screenshots of the TrophyLab shared with Business Insider. It’s unclear whether the portal contains other foreign weaponry.
Courtesy of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
“We are going to feature any kind of weapons or military equipment that is used against Ukrainian citizens,” Myronenko said. “So all the weapons that are used against Ukrainians on the battlefield, they will be featured on this TrophyLab platform.”
In its first week, Ukraine’s defense ministry has already received 150 registration requests for TrophyLab. Myronenko said that these include Ukrainian defense companies and military units, as well as foreign companies and governments.
Foreign users make up 30% of the pool, and Kyiv expects the number to grow over time.
Once users are vetted and approved, they will have round-the-clock access to the platform. They can also request physical samples of weaponry for study and even destroy them to obtain additional data.
TrophyLab marks Ukraine’s latest effort to share battlefield lessons and experience with its Western allies, as it has done extensively with drone warfare. Myronenko believes that blowing the lid on Russia’s arsenal will benefit all involved.
“It will be a great experience, both for Ukraine and the partners,” he said.
