Internet in Ukraine disrupted as Russian troops advance

Disruptions to Ukraine's telecommunications networks could affect civilian defence groups that have been mobilising to defend their cities

Internet connectivity in Ukraine has been badly affected by the Russian invasion, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of the country where fighting has been heaviest, internet blockage observatory NetBlocks said on Saturday.

Russian forces captured the southeastern Ukrainian city of Melitopol on Saturday, Russia's Interfax news agency reported, as Moscow launched coordinated cruise missile and artillery strikes on several cities, including the capital Kyiv.

Connectivity to GigaTrans, Ukraine's main internet provider, dropped to below 20% of normal levels before returning to higher levels in the early hours of Friday morning, NetBlocks said.

"We currently observe national connectivity at 87% of ordinary