When you next hear the news “5G has been launched in Ukraine,” it will most likely be a story about Chinese expansion in Ukraine. Contrary to the public warnings of Western partners. Contrary to the national security interests of Ukraine. With significant corruption risks.
Now more details, with facts and evidence.
First, let me briefly remind you what 5G is, and the passions it stirs.
In general, it is an evolutionary stage of 4G (also known as LTE), which we use now. But 5G is significantly faster, about five times. This increase is achieved through higher frequencies, which in turn require a much greater number of base stations — several times more. And each of these base stations is significantly more expensive (one and a half to two times) than a standard 4G station.
These figures change over time, but the overall trend is that for most mobile operators worldwide, it is still economically unfeasible to switch to 5G: too many costs, which the end user is unlikely to want to pay for.
When the transition was made from 3G to 4G, the difference was impressive, and subscribers were willing to pay for a qualitatively new level. But there is no such visible difference between 4G and 5G.
Yes, 5G is significantly more stable and faster, which is important for, for example, ATMs or taxi services. But the current level is more or less satisfactory. However, the costs of transitioning to 5G are unjustifiably high. It is not yet profitable for most commercial operators.
But China, with its communist ideology and plans for world domination, spares no money on image projects. Their main task is for all countries to buy only Chinese products, build basic infrastructure on them, and then be unable to change the supplier. Therefore, the Chinese government generously sponsors its manufacturers to reduce the sale price and often adds its own hidden spy functionality to the manufacturers’ software. They also forcibly redirect all Chinese traffic through government servers for analysis and have generally built a Great Chinese Firewall inside the country that provides almost complete isolation of the Chinese from the outside world. But this is a separate topic, and we won’t discuss it today. Although I have talked a lot about it.
Countries with “developed democracy” have long realized the risks of Chinese equipment expansion and have been trying to combat it for a long time. Moreover, the tool for Chinese advancement in new markets is always (I emphasize — always) direct blunt corruption, which they actively use. For these and other security reasons, Chinese suppliers are identified as “high-risk suppliers” in the European Union, for example.
In the European Commission’s 2025 report on EU enlargement policy, it is specifically noted that Ukraine granted licenses to high-risk suppliers during the implementation of a 5G pilot project in Lviv, of which the then Minister of Digital Transformation, M. Fedorov, was so proud. A deeper internet search reveals that within this project, Huawei AAU5636m radio modules were installed on the Lviv City Hall, although the manufacturer’s name does not (for some reason?) appear in the official triumphant press releases.
This means China is helping Russia kill us while simultaneously implementing its spy base stations directly in Ukraine. I remind you that they always do this through bribing officials, bribing business owners by means of dumping prices, and bribing the end user by artificially lowering prices in stores (although of Chinese quality, the people do not care as long as it is cheap).
Note: the European Commission’s report with a public remark regarding the Chinese and their access to important infrastructure projects was released in November 2025.
And the launch of the Ukrainian-Chinese-Fedorov project “5G test site in Lviv” was ceremoniously launched in January 2026, seemingly mocking the warnings of our Western donors.
This is despite Ukraine signing the “5G Security Intent Protocol,” which includes the “Action Plan for the Development and Implementation of 5G Security Rules in accordance with the EU 5G Cybersecurity Toolbox.” It’s as if one is signed with one and sleeps with another. And doesn’t care about the obligations taken. When pointed out their violations, they play dumb and move to another position, the defense minister.
Meanwhile, Chinese “5G test sites” might be gathering data about Ukrainians, both civilian and military, and transmitting it to their allies—Russians. The role of cybersecurity is somewhat exaggerated, as he used to say?
And you, European Union, hurry up and accept us. We have chaos, irresponsibility, incompetence at every step, we keep shooting ourselves in the foot, abandoning partners and still ask them for money—but you love us as we are. And we will betray you. Cool, right?
Probably, this is how the people who have ruled Ukraine for 7 years think. They rule not very legally, violating the Constitution, constantly betraying national interests and “stealing as if there’s no tomorrow.”
But what can you do—it’s war. Not the time. “Or Putin will attack.”
P.S.: For those meticulous proof enthusiasts: here is the European Commission Report, scroll to page 79.
