Attachments
The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) was activated in Ukraine on 03 March 2022 following the escalation of armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. ETC SitReps are distributed monthly
Highlights
• A milestone agreement was reached on 25 January with the authorities in the heavily impacted town of Novyi Buh in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, to provide ETC internet services in eight community institutions, including kindergartens, schools, and medical centres as part of a framework to improve the socioeconomic situation in the conflict zone.
• Following the VHF radio network expansion to five sites implemented from October to December 2023, the ETC is now working on a further extension of the network to an additional eight sites — Kehychivka, Kropyvnytskyi, Mykolaiv, Orly, Pokrovsk, Poltava, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia.
• Since December 2023, all five humanitarian truck convoy missions going to the frontline to deliver aid have been equipped with the ETC Remote Site on Vehicle (RSoV) solution to ensure responders have access to security communications with the UNDSS-managed Security Information Operations Centre (SIOC).
Overview
The situation in Ukraine continues to worsen, marked by persistent airstrikes and ground fighting causing extensive devastation to lives, livelihoods, civilian infrastructure, and resulting in a substantial increase in humanitarian needs.
Since the commencement of the large-scale attack on Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the toll has exceeded 29,107 civilian casualties. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) the number of civilian casualties in December rose 26.5 percent compared with November due to intensified attacks. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that approximately 3.7 million people have become internally displaced in Ukraine due to the conflict as of 25 September. Additionally, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that the global count of Ukrainian refugees has surpassed 6.3 million as of 19 December.
Impact on telecommunications
On 13 December, a cyberattack targeting one of Ukraine’s largest mobile operators resulted in millions of people losing access to mobile network. The mobile operator announced on 19 December that 99% of services had been restored.
Continuing reports highlight significant disturbances to mobile and satellite telephony services in regions close to the frontlines.
Amid the escalating conflict, cyberattacks persist with varying impacts, affecting service availability in some cases, and targeting the unauthorized release of data in others.