World-renowned coders from Ukraine are in high demand among global tech firms.

• Numerous companies have placed job postings for technology positions on the website Remote Ukraine, which facilitates international companies in hiring Ukrainian talent.
• Engineers and software developers in Ukraine create a surprisingly large amount of technology that powers our daily lives.
• Ukrainians founded or co-founded WhatsApp, Grammarly, Gitlab, and Solana, while Google, Samsung, and Amazon have research and development centers in the country.

Russian coders who have been affected by the invasion of Ukraine are in high demand among companies looking to hire them.

Over 2 million Ukrainian citizens have been displaced recently, some of whom have valuable technical skills.

Over 500 tech job ads have been posted by dozens of companies on Remote Ukraine, a website that connects firms worldwide with Ukrainian talent. These companies are primarily from Europe, but some are also from North America.

Tech companies such as Modular Automation, WarDucks, Sportradar, and Drive System Design have posted job ads on the site, with roles ranging from a Web3 developer to a senior 3D artist.

Martin Armstrong, founder of U.K.-based Somerton, a tech platform that aims to connect athletes with coaches, has made five verbal job offers to engineers, content writers, and tech salespeople. However, the problem is that he cannot obtain visas for them.

Priti Patel, the U.K. Interior Minister, is changing the process.

He has extended a formal offer to a Ukrainian relocating to Warsaw for remote work with him.

Cutover, a London-based enterprise software firm, has established a new "fast-track" engineering position for Ukrainian engineers who have been displaced.

Beyonk CEO Oscar White is looking for job candidates from Ukraine, according to a statement he made to CNBC.

He stated that they were intended to be among the top developers globally.

A tech powerhouse

Engineers and software developers in Ukraine create a surprisingly large amount of technology that powers our daily lives.

Ukrainians founded or co-founded WhatsApp, Grammarly, Gitlab, and Solana, and all these companies have research and development centers in Ukraine.

Pitch CEO Christian Reber stated to CNBC that the company has three remote engineers based in Ukraine and is taking all necessary steps to assist them.

He stated that they had provided unlimited time off work and covered transportation and accommodation expenses for all affected Pitch employees and their families without any questions.

Pitch, like other companies, has also provided financial assistance by paying salaries up to three months in advance and setting up bank accounts outside Ukraine.

CNBC reported that Denys Zhadanov, a Ukrainian entrepreneur, stated he has 230 employees in the country.

He stated that the majority is currently located in Odessa, which is secure at the moment.

In the U.S., CleverFiles, a company focused on recovering deleted computer files, has over 20 full-time employees working from cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia.

Alina Mulova, a senior online marketing manager, informed CNBC on Monday that every employee is currently seeking a secure location for their families. While some have relocated to western Ukraine, others are unable to depart their cities and are taking refuge in shelters.

CleverFiles' Ukrainian employees are still being paid despite their inability to work, according to Mulova.

Educated citizens

Pitch's co-founder and senior software engineer, Misha Karpenko, stated to CNBC that Ukraine is an excellent market for highly-skilled tech talent due to several factors.

Ukraine boasts numerous prestigious technical universities and a culture that highly values technical education, as I experienced firsthand," he stated. "In Ukrainian society, technical studies are generally viewed as more valuable than humanities.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, many Ukrainians experienced newfound freedom and connection with the West, but still lived in poverty and couldn't afford a PC at home. This sparked a surge in interest in computers and software among children and teenagers who grew up in the 90s-2000s, including me.

In Kyiv alone, there are more than 10 universities that prioritize science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

A digital lead at a climate change non-profit in Barcelona stated that Ukrainians have a "very good reputation" for coding, according to CNBC.

Feldberg stated that all the Ukrainian coders he has worked with have received a comprehensive education and formal training. He emphasized that they did not self-teach themselves.

Feldberg stated that many of them studied computer science and took the time to fully comprehend Java, one of the most crucial computing languages.

Feldberg stated that he has collaborated with designers, data scientists, front-end, and back-end developers from Ukraine.

Obstacles to overcome

The majority of tech workers in Ukraine are male, but men aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave the country as the government wants them to stay and fight.

Despite the Russian bombing, many Ukrainian software developers remain in the country and continue to work.

On Monday, Tatyana Perebiynis, an accountant for mobile app and game publisher Gismart, was reportedly killed in Irpen near Kyiv along with her two children and pet dogs. The family was shot down by Russian mortar fire.

Israeli social media app Tango has assisted its 90 research and development workers in relocating to Poland, where it has recently opened a new office.

Ukrainian employees have been receiving free relocation services from U.K. start-up Localyze.

Ukrainian programmers are not able to travel wherever they want at any time.

Only individuals with immediate or extended family in Britain who possess British nationality, indefinite leave to remain, settled status, or proof of permanent residence are allowed entry into the country.

Reports indicate that many Ukrainians attempting to seek refuge in the U.K. are facing delays due to bureaucracy or are being rejected outright.

One government minister stated on Wednesday that approximately 760 visas have been issued through the Ukraine Family Scheme, with 22,000 applications currently being processed.

The U.K. Interior Minister, Priti Patel, announced on Thursday that the visa application process for Ukrainians is being simplified. Instead of physically attending visa centers, applicants can now submit their applications online, as long as they have a passport.