Whether Ukrainians will be able to at least call each other during blackouts, what awaits mobile internet in Ukraine, and how the energy crisis affects the cost of basic tariffs for the population - UNN spoke with leading domestic mobile operators.
Currently, any massive attack on the energy sector automatically hits telecommunications: the longer and more unpredictable the outages, the more often subscribers are left without Internet and even without the ability to call relatives.
The state and operators report on "large-scale strengthening of network autonomy." However, behind the beautiful formulations lies a simple truth: communication holds as long as fuel can be poured into generators and batteries can be charged between outages.
Reliance on batteries and generators: will this really save us?
According to data from the Ministry of Digital Transformation, 100% of base stations are equipped with batteries, more than a third with generators, and operators have additionally contracted 15.4 thousand generators.
This looks like a total strengthening of the communication network. However, in practice, batteries only withstand short outages, and generators are not everywhere; they need to be maintained, refueled, and physically guarded.
Thus, mobile operator lifecell admits: the average duration of power outages at its facilities in December 2025 was 8–12 hours, and at the beginning of 2026, it increased to more than 16 hours per day. In such a mode, batteries do not have time to charge, and no reports of "increased autonomy" change the fact: where there is no stable power supply, communication works in fits and starts.
Vodafone provides other figures: in Kyiv, network availability during the longest outages did not drop below 78%, in the Kyiv region – 75%. But these percentages offer little comfort to subscribers who, precisely during peak outage periods, experience difficulties both when trying to call relatives and when needing to use mobile internet.
Regional inequality: where almost 100% of equipment works, and where it's a matter of luck
Operators virtually admit: the real quality of communication is determined not so much by investments as by the state of the energy sector in a particular region. Where there are at least some planned schedules, the situation is more or less manageable. Where the energy infrastructure is broken, and outages last 10-20 hours or more, networks "sag," and base stations operate from generators at minimal settings or simply shut down.
Vodafone names Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Lviv, and Rivne regions among the relatively stable regions, where network operability approaches 100%.
lifecell reports that over 90% of its network is operational across the country, while Vodafone reports about 87%.
However, behind these average figures almost always lie specific areas that remain in informational silence precisely when it is most dangerous.
Technical limitations that are usually not discussed
Operators admit: ensuring round-the-clock operation of the entire network solely on generators is physically impossible. Some base stations simply cannot be retrofitted due to their location on rooftops or technical limitations. Emergency crews are forced to choose where to deliver generators and fuel first, especially when objects need to be restored after shelling simultaneously.
Even modern lithium batteries with self-heating function have a limit: they need 3-4 hours of continuous power for a full charge. Frosts, increased load – when 60% of fixed internet users switch to mobile during an outage – reduce autonomous operation time and "eat up" energy reserves even faster. In fact, the network operates at the limit of its technical capabilities, and reserves are spent on maintaining minimal functionality, not on a real safety margin.
Operators advise Ukrainians to use the internet sparingly, avoid heavy video content, and power home routers from power banks to avoid overloading the mobile network.
These are practical tips, but they indicate something else: even after billions in investments, the system remains unstable and largely shifts responsibility for its operation to the subscribers themselves.
Batteries, generators, solar stations: how Ukraine is trying to revive mobile communication
lifecell reports that over 94% of its network is capable of operating autonomously for up to 10 hours, provided the batteries are fully charged. For this purpose, the operator purchased 48,000 lithium batteries, over 45,000 have already been installed, and an additional 3,500 generators have been acquired. Investments in energy modernization are estimated at more than 2 billion UAH.
Vodafone reports an eightfold increase in its fleet of lithium-ion batteries over two years, the deployment of over 20,000 new batteries, an increase in the number of generators, the creation of strategic fuel reserves, and the launch of the first hundred solar-powered facilities.
These are massive expenses, and operators do not hide it: blackouts are already hitting the cost of services. Fuel, logistics, equipment repair, overtime work for engineers, losses due to infrastructure damage – all of this is factored into tariffs. Vodafone directly states that power problems have affected the cost of services since the beginning of the full-scale war, while lifecell reports increased operating costs and a shortage of personnel.
Tariffs are affordable, but not infinitely so
Formally, all three operators assure that tariff revisions are based solely on economic calculations, and customers will be notified in advance. In practice, however, Ukrainians have already seen several "lineup updates" with increased service prices, while the quality of communication in blackout conditions deteriorates.
lifecell states that it strives to maintain competitive and affordable offers. Vodafone emphasizes billions in investments, which supposedly justify new tariffs. "Kyivstar" traditionally refers to "justified economic calculations."
At the same time, none of the operators gives a clear answer as to whether there will be another price increase in the event of a new massive attack on the energy sector. The experience of past years shows that the risk is far from zero.
Communication as a vulnerable nerve of the country during wartime
Mobile communication during war and blackouts is a basic security infrastructure for Ukrainians. Hundreds of generators, thousands of batteries, new technologies like satellite DirecttoCell truly enhance network resilience. But as long as the energy system remains vulnerable, mobile communication will also be "fragile."
Operators are doing a lot, but their resilience has limits. And the longer the energy crisis lasts, the greater the chances that Ukrainians will feel its price even in their mobile service bills.
We remind you that earlier we wrote that the infrastructure of the largest Ukrainian mobile operator "Kyivstar" after massive Russian attacks on the energy sector in nine regions is disconnected from electricity by 40-60%.