The Romanian Intelligence Agency, SRI, said on Sunday that it would be the coordinator of a new trust fund created by NATO member states to develop cyber-defence mechanisms for Kiev.

“Given the context generated by a growing tension in Russian-Ukrainian relations and NATO’s need to strengthen its eastern border, new measures of security have been implemented,” the SRI said in a press statement.

“Romanian specialists in information security are charged with defining the technical necessities and the architecture of a security system for protecting critical IT&C [information technology and communications] infrastructure against cybernetic threats,” SRI added.

Romania will also provide project management and training for Ukrainian specialists to ensure the system yields results.

Cyber-attacks have become common during military conflicts in recent years, and were allegedly committed by Russian hackers during Moscow’s war with Georgia in 2008.

With a 694-kilometre-long border with Ukraine, Romania has also been among the strongest regional backers of the US and NATO involvement to ensure stability in the region.

NATO-member Romania is one of the Alliance’s most dedicated supporters among the ex-Communist countries of Eastern Europe.

Last October, the installation of US missile interceptors began at the Deveselu military base in southern Romania.

The interceptors are to be installed at Deveselu by 2015 as part of the second phase of the US-led project to build a missile shield in Europe.

The scheme is viewed with deep suspicion by Russia. The work at Deveselu has involved an estimated investment of $400 million.

Romania’s Mihail Kogalniceanu airport, near the Black Sea shore, became a major US military base in 2007, and around 1,600 troops are currently deployed there.