Ukraine's state regulator in the communications sector — the National Commission for State Regulation of Communications and Information Technology (NCEC) — has officially confirmed that continuous Russian attacks are causing significant damage to the country's telecommunications infrastructure. In a statement published on the regulator's official Facebook page and relayed by RBC-Ukraine, it is noted that as a result of the constant shelling, communication elements have been damaged, leading to temporary disruptions in network operations and limiting citizens' access to mobile and fixed-line communication services, as well as to the internet.
Scale of damage and recovery efforts
According to the NCEC, specialists have already begun restoring the damaged infrastructure and stabilizing network operations. The regulator emphasizes that the disruptions are temporary in nature, although their duration and geographic scope depend on how quickly the consequences of each specific strike are addressed. As the body responsible for regulating electronic communications, the radio-frequency spectrum, and postal services, the NCEC coordinates the interaction of communication operators under wartime conditions and monitors compliance with the basic parameters of service availability for the population.
Strikes on data centers: the September 23 attack
The context for the regulator's statement is provided by the massive Russian attack of September 23, 2026, during which, according to RBC-Ukraine, data-center infrastructure facilities were hit. In particular, during the strike on Kyiv, one of the capital's data centers was damaged, which directly led to disruptions in the networks of providers UTELS and "Pavutyna." Users of these operators recorded communication outages and the unavailability of a number of services. The Russian side, according to available information, deliberately attempted to disrupt the operation of air-threat alert systems, indicating the strategic nature of the attacks on digital infrastructure.
Systemic nature of the threat to the digital environment
The combination of the "round-the-clock shelling" mentioned by the NCEC with targeted strikes on data centers paints a picture of systemic pressure on Ukraine's telecom sector. The damage affects not only end communication nodes but also data storage and processing facilities, making restoration more prolonged and resource-intensive. For citizens, this means that even during periods when active shelling temporarily subsides, the consequences of previous strikes may persist in the form of degraded communication quality and reduced network capacity.
What is known about the recovery
The NCEC does not disclose exact timelines for the full restoration of the damaged sections, limiting itself to the statement that work "is already underway." Communication operators whose networks were affected, including UTELS and "Pavutyna," have also not published detailed schedules for eliminating the outages at the time of preparing this material. The regulator urges subscribers to take into account the possible instability of services and, if necessary, to contact the support services of their providers.
