On 14 March 2024, Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian drones and missiles had struck communications infrastructure, including that used by media, in northeastern Ukraine. The attacks took place on March 13 and 14. On March 13, missile attacks and airstrikes by Russian forces targeted radio facilities in the Sumy region, damaging broadcasting transmitters in the settlements of Sumy, Shostka, Bilopillia, and Trostianets, as reported by the Sumy Region Military Administration.
Due to the resulting damage, a part of the region was unable to receive Ukrainian television and radio signals, according to the administration. Volodymyr Artyukh, the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, urged citizens not to panic and advised them “to switch to alternative means of communication and trust only verified sources of information.”
On March 14, 2024, Russian forces conducted extensive drone strikes targeting the television and radio infrastructure in the Kharkiv region, as initially reported by Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Region Military Administration.
“In addition to physically destroying objects of infrastructure, the enemy is attempting to jam Ukrainian radio stations and the satellite signal of Ukrainian television,” Ukraine’s State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection said.