Turkish telecommunications operator Turkcell, one of the three main operators in Ukraine, said about 10% of its infrastructure in the country had been disabled by the Russian invasion, but added that its core network had not been not been damaged.
While Russia has failed to capture a single major Ukrainian city a month after launching its invasion, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”, the fighting has left towns in ruins and destroyed critical infrastructure.
Turkcell, which operates as “lifecell” in Ukraine, said in a stock market statement on Wednesday that about 10% of its 9,000 base stations in Ukraine were disabled, adding that there were no casualties among his employees.
The company said it provided the necessary equipment to maintain operations and established backup data centers in Lviv, western Ukraine, and some neighboring countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic. , adding that 45% of its retail stores in the country remained open.
Turkcell’s operations in Ukraine accounted for 7.8% of its 35.9 billion Turkish lira ($2.42 billion) revenue in 2021. They accounted for about 10% of its earnings before interest, depreciation and taxes.
Turkey, a NATO member, shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and enjoys good relations with both. While criticizing the Russian invasion and supporting Ukraine, Ankara has also launched mediation efforts and called for a ceasefire.
