Ukrtelecom deleted software to prevent Russia from taking control of Ukraine’s internet and phone services, its chief executive officer Yuriy Kurmaz told Bloomberg.
Employees of the operator in southern and eastern regions of Ukraine occupied by invading Russian forces carried out the deletion, in the face of threats and imprisonment.
Kurmaz said employees "decided to delete crucial files from computers" which prevented the Russian government from connecting hardware to Ukrainian networks.
The chief executive officer revealed over 30 telecoms facilities have been destroyed during the invasion, and around a hundred have been damaged.
Ukrtelecom has also been defending itself against cyberattacks since March, mere days after the invasion began in late February.
Smaller connectivity providers in occupied regions are currently under Russian control reported Bloomberg, Ukrtelecom disconnected its networks in those locations, stressed Kurmaz.
