KYIV, Jan 12, 2026, 15:17 EET
Kyivstar launched its first 5G test zone in Lviv on Monday, marking Ukraine’s initial step into 5G. The operator plans to extend trials to Kharkiv near the Russian border and Borodianka just outside Kyiv, with pilot projects in Kyiv and Odesa slated for later in 2026. “While the enemy is trying to destroy our infrastructure, we continue to modernize,” digital transformation minister Mykhailo Fedorov declared on Telegram. (Reuters)
This change is vital while Ukraine’s networks stay online despite missile attacks and blackouts, with operators rushing to strengthen infrastructure amid soaring mobile data demand. 5G—fifth-generation mobile service—delivers greater data capacity and lower latency compared to 4G, which still carries most of the traffic.
Ukraine planned to roll out 5G nationwide in 2022, but Russia’s invasion in February put those ambitions on hold. Still, officials push forward with digital services, linking them to wider reforms and the country’s bid to join the European Union.
The Lviv test zone, set in the city’s historic heart, is designed to measure network performance in real urban settings, VEON, Kyivstar’s parent company, said. Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov called the operator a key player “driving Ukraine’s digital transformation with investments in advanced technologies.” VEON also announced Kyivstar will invest $1 billion into Ukraine between 2023 and 2027, focusing on energy backup systems for its network and creating a Ukrainian large language model — software trained on huge text datasets to generate responses. (Veon)
Kyivstar is calling this a test phase, not a full commercial rollout, and hasn’t set a date for nationwide 5G service yet. The company says expanding coverage hinges on the war ending.
The pilot will roll out 5G on two frequency bands — slices of radio spectrum used for wireless signals — with 3,500 megahertz aimed at boosting speeds and 700 megahertz to widen coverage, the company said. During pre-launch tests in Lviv, peak download speeds topped 2.4 gigabits per second, though they cautioned actual speeds could vary due to congestion and other factors. Kyivstar reported having over 22.5 million mobile subscribers and more than 1.2 million fixed-line home internet users as of Sept. 30, 2025. (Nasdaq)
Ukraine’s digital ministry has kicked off a 5G pilot in Lviv, teaming up with the top three carriers: Kyivstar, Vodafone Ukraine, and lifecell. Vodafone Ukraine CEO Olga Ustinova called it “not an experiment, but a model proven by Vodafone’s experience in Europe.” On his end, lifecell CEO Mykhailo Shelemba stressed the role of energy backup, saying, “Everything will depend on the reserve power supply.” He also noted that around 29% of lifecell users already own 5G-capable devices. (Developing Telecoms)
The ongoing war keeps hitting hard with serious limits. Operators say 5G gobbles more power than 4G. Outages don’t help—they turn network upgrades into a logistical headache, requiring batteries, generators, fuel, and repairs.
If the pilot proves successful, broader adoption will rely on handset availability and how long the energy system remains under pressure. Kyivstar has picked Kharkiv and Borodianka for the next phase of trials, while Kyiv and Odesa are slated for later in 2026. Still, the company stresses that a full launch depends heavily on the war’s result.
