UKRAINE’S DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY: CONSTITUTIONAL, LEGAL, AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS OF PROTECTING CRITICAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Abstract

Introduction. The russian federation’s full–scale armed aggression against Ukraine marked a paradigm shift in modern interstate conflicts. Critical information infrastructure has become a target of cyberattacks. Under these circumstances, the functioning of government agencies and the preservation of the integrity of critical data have become essential prerequisites for effective governance. The concept of «digital sovereignty» serves as a tangible guarantee of national security, the functional resilience of public administration, and the preservation of the constitutional order. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to conduct a scholarly analysis of the nature of Ukraine’s digital sovereignty as the latest transformational component of state sovereignty, and to identify systemic legal and administrative problems that hinder the functioning of critical information infrastructure during full–scale armed aggression. Methods. The study is based on the use of methodological tools from the fields of public administration theory and constitutional law. The research employs the systemic–structural method, comparative legal analysis, the functional approach, the formal–legal method, and the modeling method. Results. This article argues for the need to broaden the conceptual interpretation of Article 17 of the Constitution of Ukraine by including the cybersecurity of critical information infrastructure among the state’s most important functions; it analyzes the governance risks associated with implementing a «Cloud First» policy under martial law; and it demonstrates the need to distinguish between different methods of processing government data. Conclusion. The study showed that the phenomenon of digital sovereignty is an integral component of Ukraine’s state sovereignty. Ensuring cybersecurity and protecting critical information infrastructure is a constitutional obligation of the state to ensure information security. The existing model of public administration in this area has demonstrated its ability to adapt; however, it requires addressing issues related to interagency coordination, human resources, and improving the protection of critical information infrastructure at the local level.