Mykhailo Fedorov: russia has destroyed a quarter of all Internet networks in Ukraine

In a full-scale war, high-quality communication plays a crucial role. Especially for the military, who need to communicate with each other. Despite the fact that russia is destroying core internet networks, telecoms operators are quickly restoring connectivity even during blackouts and shelling.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technology Development and Minister of Digital Transformation, spoke about the situation with the telecoms infrastructure and the extent of the damage during the telethon.

“Since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, a quarter of all Internet networks have been damaged, which is about 3,000 base stations. Of these, 1,800 have already resumed operation, and about 500 settlements are back online. Overall, the World Bank estimates that more than USD 2.2 billion is needed to fully restore the infrastructure and bring the telecoms industry back to its pre-war levels. Currently, the Ministry of Digital Transformation team is working on projects to restore Internet networks in frontline cities and to bring communications back to the de-occupied areas as soon as possible,” said Mykhailo Fedorov.

The Minister stressed the importance of technology in wartime, which had become a competitive advantage over the enemy. In particular, Starlinks are helping to quickly establish communication between the military and medical personnel, and to restore Internet access to areas where the telecoms infrastructure has been damaged. There are now more than 42,000 terminals in Ukraine, thanks to the support of international partners.

Mykhailo Fedorov also announced a joint project with Nokia to restore telecoms infrastructure in frontline cities. The project aims to provide Ukrainians with a more resilient and energy-independent Internet. The pilot project will start in Kherson region.