Mobile phone tariffs in Ukraine have risen: why have operators increased their prices?

This was reported by Channel 24, citing comments from telecoms experts, Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov and Vodafone CEO Olga Ustinova.

At the start of 2026, Ukraine’s largest mobile operators raised their tariffs almost simultaneously.

These were Kyivstar, Vodafone and lifecell. On average, the cost of packages rose by 40–100 UAH, and for some tariffs, the price increase reached around a third of the previous price.

This simultaneous increase sparked discontent among subscribers and talk of a possible collusion between operators. At the same time, experts explain this not as an agreement between the companies, but as a sharp rise in the costs of maintaining mobile infrastructure during the war and energy crises.

Why mobile communications are becoming more expensive

According to telecom analysts, operators are spending significant sums on generators, fuel, batteries for base stations, backup power supplies, data centres, equipment repairs, network maintenance and more expensive electricity.

Telecom analyst Oleksandr Hluschenko explained that due to the increase in the number of hours of power cuts, operators are having to install batteries at base stations, masts and other equipment.

According to him, the main reason for the current tariff increases is energy independence.

Electronics communications specialist Anatoliy Frolenkov added that operators are consuming large amounts of fuel for generators.

He said that one operator had previously reported that maintaining base stations cost an average of around 100,000 litres of fuel per month, rising to 700,000 litres during the winter.

In addition to generators and fuel, electricity, batteries, equipment and logistics are becoming more expensive. Companies need to maintain not only base stations, but also data centres, backbone networks and international data transmission channels.

What Kyivstar says

Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov stated that tariffs will continue to rise.

According to him, the company is operating in an economy with double-digit official inflation, whilst some of the operator’s costs are rising even faster.

Komarov cited two key factors – inflation and devaluation.

He said that during peak periods, in the mornings and evenings, the price of commercial electricity has risen by around 60% over the past year.

Payments for the radio frequency spectrum have risen by 23%, and labour costs by more than 20%.

The cost of services is also affected by the hryvnia exchange rate. According to Komarov’s estimate, the hryvnia has depreciated by 6–7% year-on-year.

The company reinvests approximately 30% of its revenue into the network. A significant portion of these investments is made in foreign currency, as batteries, generators, radio equipment and licensed software from Ericsson, Nokia and other suppliers are not purchased in hryvnia.

What Vodafone says

Vodafone CEO Olga Ustinova stated that the current tariff prices are linked to the volume of services and network maintenance costs.

She cited the example of a 400 UAH monthly tariff, describing it as the price of three or four cups of coffee in Kyiv.

For this money, according to Ustinova, subscribers receive a significant amount of data, unlimited voice calls and the ability to use the ‘Roam Like Home’ service abroad at no extra cost.

Ustinova confirmed that Vodafone’s business remains profitable, with a margin of approximately 50%.

At the same time, the company consistently invests over a third of its funds – more than 33% – in network maintenance and development.

According to her, without revenue from tariffs, the operator would not be able to purchase generators, base stations and other equipment, which is procured in dollars. Rising exchange rates and electricity costs directly increase the company’s expenses.

Was there a collusion between operators?

Despite the almost simultaneous tariff increases, experts see no obvious signs of collusion between Kyivstar, Vodafone and lifecell.

They explain the synchronisation by the fact that all operators are operating under similar conditions.

They are simultaneously facing rising costs for electricity, fuel, telecoms equipment and logistics, as well as increased network load.

At the same time, experts criticise the operators for poor communication with customers. Information about new prices often appears in tariff descriptions or is sent via SMS, which many subscribers ignore.

As a result, some users only find out about the price increase after the charges have been deducted.

Ukrainian tariffs and connection quality

Telecom market expert Anatoliy Amelin stated that Ukrainian mobile internet and connectivity are often of higher quality than those in Europe and the US.

He cited the examples of Berlin and Washington, where, he said, mobile connectivity was patchy even in city centres.

Amelin also noted that over the past two years, Ukrainian operators have invested significantly in the network’s energy independence and its restoration following shelling.

According to him, 100% of base stations in Ukraine are equipped with batteries, and at least 25% of stations in each region have generators capable of providing power for 72 hours.

In total, the market is spending billions of hryvnias on the purchase of thousands of generators and hundreds of thousands of batteries.

Experts predict that the Ukrainian mobile market is entering a period of constant price rises for services. The reason is not only inflation, but also the costs of maintaining networks during the war, blackouts and regular attacks on infrastructure.

As reported by ThePublic, what will change for Kyivstar subscribers from 21 January and which tariffs are affected?

Follow us on Telegram