Failure in a Kyivstar mobile network didn’t affect the actions of the Ukrainian military on the frontline, noted Volodymyr Fito, a Head of Public Relations of the Ground Forces Command, in the ether of a joint telemarathon. 

“Currently, the situation doesn’t affect the actions of [our] troops at all. Some inconveniences for civilians exist, but for soldiers [the failure of the network — ed.] doesn’t matter at all,” Fito stated. 

He also pointed out that soldiers on the frontline utilize other means of communication. Thus, their ability to receive and transfer information didn’t get worse.

Read more: Most Ukrainians Believe that Frontline Success Depends on Western Support — Poll

What happened? 

On the morning of December 12, subscribers of Kyivstar, one of the largest mobile communication networks in Ukraine, started to complain about the lack of internet access. The company’s app and website stopped working too. 

Later, Kyivstar reported that the shutdown happened because of the hacker attack. Special Services of Ukraine opened an investigation into the incident, with one of the versions explaining it as a cyberattack organized by Russian Special Services. The disruption affected national Kyivstar roaming and some ATMs. 

Kyivstar plans to get the network up and running again in one day. They also promised to provide compensation for everyone affected by the cyberattack. 

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