Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on September 14, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleUkraine plans to limit mobile service quality during Russian drone attacks to prevent coordination, focusing on 4G and 5G restrictions.
KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine may intentionally reduce the quality of mobile communications during Russian drone attacks to stop the networks being used to coordinate strikes, Chief of the General Staff Andriy Hnatov was quoted as saying on Sunday.
Three and a half years into the war, Russia has ramped up drone attacks on Ukraine in recent months, enhancing its technology and increasing the number of drones deployed to maximise damage to strategic targets and key infrastructure.
"This is not a disruption of mobile communications, but rather a restriction on the quality of communications in certain areas, like a restriction on 4G and 5G communication," Hnatov told Ukrainian online video channel Novyny Live.
"So that the modems they use on their unmanned aerial vehicles cannot access the internet of our communications operators," he added.
Shutting down high-speed mobile internet makes sense in order to combat drones equipped with cameras that transmit images and require a 4G connection to operate, according to reports by local media.
Russia has frequently ordered mobile internet shutdowns to disrupt Ukrainian drone attacks during the war.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk;Editing by Helen Popper)
Ukraine may intentionally reduce the quality of mobile communications during Russian drone attacks to prevent networks from being used to coordinate strikes.
The plan involves limiting the quality of communications in certain areas, specifically restricting 4G and 5G services.
Shutting down high-speed mobile internet is seen as a way to combat drones equipped with cameras that require a 4G connection to operate.
Russia has frequently ordered mobile internet shutdowns to disrupt Ukrainian drone attacks throughout the conflict.
Three and a half years into the war, Russia has intensified drone attacks on Ukraine, enhancing technology and increasing the number of drones used.
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