Connecting refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine

Dear friend of TSF,

Three years ago, the Russian army invaded Ukraine, forcing millions to flee their home. 4 million are internally displaced within the country, mainly in shelters and collective centers. Most of them have left everything they know: their loved ones, their home, their school, their city. They need to stay in contact with their friends and family, access education, and much more.

Thanks to your continuous support, Télécoms Sans Frontières has connected thousands of internally displaced people across Ukraine, working with shelters and local organizations.

3 years of collaboration with local actors to provide essential connectivity

TSF’s team in Ukraine works with shelter managers to connect people affected by the war. After identifying shelters who have no access to connectivity –for example, because they are in an isolated area, like a forest–, TSF meets with shelter managers to assess needs, understand how many people are in the shelter, if they have children who need access to online education, and so on.

In February, TSF’s Regional Manager met with potential partners on the ground, from an alliance of local NGOs to international organizations. TSF has been working in collaboration with organizations and shelter managers since the start of its response in the country.

To consolidate our action in Ukraine, we have created a local NGO, “TSF Ukraine”. One of the goals is to reinforce the presence of TSF in the country, opening new opportunities for collaboration.

The story of Natalia, who uses connectivity to help injured people

Working together is key – we met Natalia, who manages a gym for reeducation purposes in one of the shelters we connect. Thanks to the Wi-Fi provided, she was able to use online exercises to help people, including a 14-year-old boy with a fractured ankle. “It was a very difficult fracture,” Natalia explained. “For three and a half months, he had plaster, and when it was removed, he walked on crutches. He came to me with them. Then, after a few exercises, he began to walk with one crutch, [and now,] he is everywhere without crutches. These are our little victories. Without these exercises that go on TV, it would be unrealistic that this child would be recovering already.”

Today, we connect more than 20 shelters across Ukraine, providing essential connectivity for people affected by the war. More than 10,000 people accessed TSF’s free Wi-Fi since the beginning of the response.

The regional manager of the Europe region at TSF visited the country in February 2025:

“I'm in Ukraine to finalize the registration of TSF, and consolidate our action in the country. After 3 years of war, 4 million people have been internally displaced. Many of them are residing in collective sites, far away from their home and loved ones. These displaced people need the Internet to scholarize their children, stay in touch with their families, find remote work, and access administrative services. That is why I am also here to meet with partners and discuss how we can work better together to make sure that people affected by the war have access to an Internet connection they can rely on. Now more than ever, connecting people in Ukraine is crucial to making sure they continue to live their lives with dignity, and have hope for the future.” Sébastien Latouille, Regional Manager, Europe.

Links:

• Meet Kostiantyn, Head of Shelters for Displaced Ukrainians
• TSF's Regional Manager on 3 Years in Ukraine

As part of TSF’s response to meet humanitarian communication and information needs in Ukraine, we have been providing essential connectivity for internally displaced populations (IDP). We know the importance of being able to talk to your loved ones, to be part of informative communication channels, to access vital services online – especially during a difficult and stressful time. Our team is dedicated to meet these needs across the country.

Using TSF’s connectivity to continue young people’s education

The thousands of people benefiting from TSF’s connectivity use it for various reasons. One of the most prominent ones is the access to remote learning. For many young people in Ukraine, classes have moved online. It is an opportunity to continue their schooling in difficult times, but for many families, it poses new challenges. Affording data in times of war, when many have lost their source of income, can be difficult; in other places, there might be no signal, like a shelter TSF connected that was in the middle of a forest. In these cases, young people might struggle to continue their education.

“Children up to 16 years old are engaged in online education. Therefore, the Internet is very useful for us. Today, you understand, children without the Internet are children without education. Without the Internet, the child will always be one-step behind his peers."

-Kostiantyn, a shelter manager in Dnipro.

Children and teenagers in Ukraine have the opportunity to “participate in the educational process”, shared another shelter manager. Like Maks, in the picture featured, they are able to “join classes, complete assignments, submit them for grading, and this significantly improves their education and budget”. For those who have access to educators in the shelter, the connection is a source of educational material.

“My name is Evgenia, I work here as a teacher of school and preschool children. I myself am an internally displaced person. Today, life is impossible without the Internet. We come to work, we have a work plan that we follow and we carry out an educational process for children.”

Recent developments and updates on the Project

TSF’s focus is currently to expand internet access to IDP collective centers across Ukraine to help displaced people cope with their difficult situation, whether it is by talking to their loved ones, finding ways to continue school, access help through online services and more generally stay connected to the outside world.

As of November 2024, TSF provides Wi-Fi coverage in 19 collective centers for IDPs in Lviv, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Chernivsti, Brody Tomashivka, Lisovody, Shepetivka, Ladyzhyn and Hlyboka.
This connectivity allows between 150 and 250 IDPs in each center to remain in contact with their families and look for relevant information online, with more than 10,000 unique devices connected since the beginning of the response.

TSF is also actively working and collaborating with humanitarian actors on the field to assess the needs and identify potential shelters that require connectivity.

Links:

• Learn more about our actions to provide educational support
• Meet Kostiantyn, Head of Shelters for Displaced Ukrainians