Ukraine's Kyivstar raises outlook as digital business surges despite ongoing war

Kyivstar, Ukraine's leading telecom operator, anticipates a revenue increase of 15%-17% this year, driven by growth in mobile and digital services. The company reported a 17.5% rise in third-quarter revenue to $349 million and a 10.3% increase in operating profit to $189 million. Its digital services, including ride-hailing and healthcare, surged nearly 69% to $76 million, now representing over 20% of total revenue. Kyivstar's acquisition of Uklon, a ride-hailing platform, and plans to acquire GigaCloud for cloud services are part of its strategy to diversify revenue streams amid ongoing conflict. CEO Oleksandr Komarov noted that despite Russian attacks, the network remains operational, and the company is preparing for prolonged uncertainty without expecting a resolution to the war soon.