In Ukraine, smartphones play a crucial role, as those in the country use them to: communicate with loved ones to show them they are okay, share live videos showing what is happening in the country without censorship, and use GPS to help navigate a safe route out of the country.
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Given the critical role of smartphones, some have expressed surprise that Russia has not yet targeted base stations and other telecommunications infrastructure in Ukraine, with experts wondering whether this is an oversight or a deliberate ploy…
CNET reports that this war is unlike any that has happened in the past since the world is watching the events live as they happen.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the world has had a firsthand view of the war, as ordinary Ukrainian citizens document the fighting that has erupted in their country.
Ordinary citizens obviously don't have sophisticated equipment either. Instead, they use the tools they have long relied on to communicate: smartphones, social media, messaging apps, and a widespread telecommunications network that has so far been spared from destruction.
The footage and information are not blocked, so they are presented to the world in a way that has not happened on this scale […]
This sets the Ukraine war apart from other recent conflicts, such as the conflict on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, where much of the video was recorded by soldiers. In Ukraine, civilians are shooting most of the videos.
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The first thing people do after coming out of underground shelters is use messaging apps to talk to family and friends. And those trying to escape the conflict are using live maps to find a safe route and leave the country.
Mobile phone services continue to operate, despite widespread destruction of buildings by the Russian military. Some believe the failure to destroy telecommunications infrastructure is an oversight by Russia in an attack that increasingly looks like an ill-prepared one. Others, however, suspect it is a deliberate tactic so that Russian forces can extract data to gain a better picture of the situation.
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However, the Ukrainian government says that in the largest cities a battle was fought to ensure that there was no issue with connectivity.
Information source: 9to5mac.com
