On 23 October 2026, the qualifying round of the University Cyber League Final Flame 2026 came to an end. Students from Khmelnytskyi National University took the top four places in the qualifying CTF in the Cyber Threat Intelligence & Incident Response category. A total of 13 representatives from Khmelnytskyi National University secured their places in the final.
The competition took place on the CybExer ISA platform and brought together participants from three universities. Over the course of four hours, the contestants completed tasks relating to digital forensics and exploit development. Success depended on technical expertise, attention to detail, the ability to analyse digital data and to find solutions under time pressure.
Vladimir Oliinyk achieved the best result, scoring 370 points. Second place went to Mykola Kostyuk with 365 points, and third place to Denys Stadnik, who scored 360 points. Denys Berbec took fourth place with 349 points.
Artem Dmytryshyn, Roman Zvir, Oleksandr Lavreniuk, Arsenii Lypenko, Illia Sysak, Karina Semenyuk, Bohdana Militsia, Dmytro Syrotenko and Nataliia Shevchuk also qualified for the final. Kharkiv National University secured the highest number of places in the final amongst the universities represented in the second qualifying competition.
The selection process was preceded by training as part of the international educational initiative ‘Pilot Programme for Enhancing Cybersecurity Skills Gaps in Ukraine’, which brings together six Ukrainian universities. During the Bootcamp, participants honed their skills in analysing cyber threats and responding to incidents by working through practical scenarios on the CybExer cyber range. The qualifying CTF provided an opportunity to test these skills in a competitive setting.
The programme is being implemented by Security Expert Group and CybExer, with the support of the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV). Collaboration between universities and international partners provides students with access to state-of-the-art learning environments and practical experience in the field of cybersecurity.
Following two days of qualifying rounds, the organisers have selected 60 finalists who will continue to compete in the final stage of the University Cyber League Final Flame 2026 at Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University.
Congratulations to our finalists, and thank you to all participants for your perseverance and for representing the university so well! We are grateful to the lecturers and mentors for preparing the contestants, and to the organisers and partners for supporting the development of cybersecurity education. We wish you confidence, sound decision-making and further success in the final!
