The Knyaz Vandal Novgorodsky fiber-optic FPV drone, built by the Russian volunteer group Ushkuinik led by Aleksey Chadaev, was deployed in August 2024 in Russia’s Kursk region to counter Ukrainian incursions. By late 2024 and early 2025, elite Russian fiber-optic FPV units named Rubicon and Sudny Den operated in eastern Ukraine, carrying spools up to…
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In February 2023 Ukraine abolished value-added tax (VAT) and import duties on drones and related equipment, with exemptions extended to at least January 1, 2025 under martial law. Under the “235 Preference,” international postal and express UAV shipments to Ukraine are fully exempt from customs duties and VAT. In early 2023 the Cabinet canceled the…
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In 2020, Ukraine planned a commercial 5G spectrum auction for end-2021, but the tender was delayed and regulators cut mobile termination rates from ₴0.12 to ₴0.08 per minute in October 2020 as they focused on 4G. In June 2021, Datagroup completed its acquisition of Volia, creating a combined fiber backbone with over 4 million fiber-connected…
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Overview: Types of Infrastructure Targeted Ukraine’s telecommunications network encompasses a wide range of critical infrastructure that has come under attack since 2022. These include: Together, these attacks have aimed to sever Ukraine’s connectivity – both civilian communications and military command links – by dismantling the physical pillars of the internet, phone, and broadcast systems. The…
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By late 2023, nearly every Ukrainian combat brigade had integrated drones, with dedicated UAV units for surveillance, artillery spotting, and attack missions. Small off-the-shelf DJI Mavic quadcopters, priced around $1,500–$3,000, were widely used for frontline reconnaissance and artillery correction. FPV kamikaze drones cost as little as $400–$500 to assemble and have been linked to a…
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Over 4,200 ISPs were registered in August 2024, with Kyivstar leading the market at about 19%, Vodafone Ukraine around 9%, and Lifecell around 5%. Ukraine has 52 active data centers and 24 IXPs, and about 63% of popular content is cached within the country. Starlink became a pivotal connectivity lifeline during the war, with SpaceX…
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