Ukraine streamlines war effort using mobile apps

Implementing mobile apps for army governance and recruitment has improved the transparency and efficiency of Ukraine’s war effort, finds a new joint report from LSE IDEAS (at the London School of Economics) and the Better Regulation Delivery Office, a Kyiv-based NGO.

Report authors Matthew B. Arnold (LSE), Viktoriia Roller (BRDO), and Khrystyna Zhyvogliad (BRDO), analysed the impact of Ukraine’s Army+ and Reserve+ applications, issuing policy recommendations for EU and NATO allies to adapt similar models for their own national contexts.

Drawing on informant interviews, legal analysis, and implementation reports, the researchers find that Ukraine’s use of mobile apps provided a faster, auditable, and more transparent approach to serving core defence needs.

Launched in 2024, the apps offer a more streamlined approach to the prior Soviet-legacy defence bureaucracy, which was burdened by slower, more opaque paper-based procedures.

In implementing Army+ and Reserve+, the Ukrainian government draws on prior experience building digital platforms for civilian use such as Diia, launched in 2020 as an attempt to rebuild citizens’ trust in democratic institutions long seen as ineffective and corrupt.

The apps provide citizens and servicemembers with direct, trackable access to their own data and to the decisions that affect them, while also lightening the burden of administrative paperwork.

For instance, multi-signature functionality allows army commanders to process dozens of requests simultaneously, while ‘anti-ghosting’ mechanisms flag delayed responses after a 72-hour window. By replacing cumbersome paper documentation and in-person meetings with more standardised digital processes, the apps reduce the likelihood of documentation being lost in bureaucratic delays and provide greater transparency for citizens and service members.

The researchers say EU and NATO allies should learn from Ukraine’s experiences without copying the apps wholesale. The report outlines 11 policy recommendations, including:
• Prioritising governance strategy to build public trust, not just jumping straight to app-creation.
• Reframing mobilisation as a core strategic capability.
• Making strategic communication the anchor of digital mobilisation.

The report is available in full via the LSE IDEAS website, linked below.
https://www.lse.ac.uk/ideas/publications/research-reports/ap...

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For more information, or to speak with the researchers, contact Jamie Hose at BlueSky Education on jamie@bluesky-pr.com, or call +44 (0)1582 790 706.