Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine has begun, the invaders have been destroying the telecommunications infrastructure. In order not to be cut off from the rest of the world, the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation is appealing to the UN to support this sector. “Today, the Internet is helping to save millions of lives,” the communiqué states.
“Despite Russia’s constant shelling, the telecommunications team continues to rebuild damaged equipment and to turn on Starlink to restore communications. However, this is not enough. Therefore, we constantly need the help of allied countries. We count on their support for the telecommunications sphere of Ukraine and the joint fight against the world’s greatest enemy,” we read in the ministry’s statement.
The Ministry recalls that before the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, Ukraine managed to become a country with the largest high-speed Internet coverage in Europe.
In Ukraine, more than 1,800 social facilities were connected to the internet last year. For the first time, more than one million Ukrainians in 700 villages were able to use high-speed Internet.
Russia has been trying daily since 24 February to separate Ukrainians from their families and the world, to deprive them of communication and digital opportunities. About 22 per cent of Ukraine’s internet networks are damaged and thousands of Ukrainians have lost contact with their loved ones, the ministry reported.
“Today, the Internet helps save millions of lives, keep in touch with relatives, learn about missile threats in time, find and transfer humanitarian aid, work remotely also from villages and bomb shelters, and get help from the state online. Most importantly, access to the Internet is barrier-free,” we read in the ministry’s statement.
According to Ukrinform, by June 10, more than 3,000 base stations of mobile operators in Ukraine had been completely or partially switched off. More than 20 per cent of the telecommunications infrastructure was damaged or destroyed because of Russia’s aggression.