Microsoft revealed that it will provide accessible technology aid to Ukraine until 2023. This announcement on Thursday, Nov. 3, comes in response to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia as the latter country's invasion continues.
The Extended Tech Support Worth $100 Million
Reuters reported that since the crisis in Ukraine began in February, Microsoft has contributed more than $400 million to the country's relief efforts. Now, the company just announced that it would increase its contribution in the form of further technological assistance by roughly $100 million.
According to a blog post written by Microsoft President Brad Smith, the aid will ensure that Ukraine's government entities, critical infrastructure, and other sectors in the country can continue to run their digital networks and serve the public citizens through the Microsoft Cloud.
This extended support will consist of "critical cybersecurity protection," as well as support for non-profits and other non-governmental organizations providing assistance to Ukraine and documenting war crimes against civilians.
In a press conference held at Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal on Thursday, PCmag quoted Smith saying, "We need to look forward not just to the winter, but to 2023. All of the tech aid we've been providing will continue through 2023."
The said summit was also attended by Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation.
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Microsoft's Involvement in the Conflict
As an example of Microsoft's assistance, Smith said that the firm has been using its artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in conjunction with satellite images from Planet to record Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure. These attacks are commonly recognized as war crimes.
Fedorov, speaking via a translator, said that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was already trying to migrate government functions to online platforms before the war. It is said that the main part of his goal was digitalization.
Microsoft's support with its cloud services had actually helped in the initial days of the war and onwards, Fedorov added.
Strengthening the Digital Alliance in Ukraine
When it came to backing Ukraine, Microsoft was not alone. Many other US companies have done the same thing, in addition to breaking off operations with and in Russia.
According to Smith, one of the things they have seen in Ukraine is creating a new digital alliance of governments, corporations, and non-profit organizations. It is only imperative that this digital coalition maintains its strength.
Recent Attacks in Ukraine
Later in October, Russia intensified its use of Iranian-made "suicide drones" to attack Ukraine. These drones are deployed in bunches and destroy themselves by crashing at their victims.
At the time, officials in Ukraine claimed that 30% of the country's energy infrastructure had been damaged in the previous ten days due to drone and missile assaults. Lots of the nation were rendered helpless.
The suicide drones, according to analysts, are programmed with the location of their target before launch, making electronic warfare weapons like GPS jammers useless.
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Written by Trisha Kae Andrada
