Ukraine Seeks Support from Tech Firms against Russia

On Wednesday, Ukraine sought help from 50 additional technology companies to take action against Russia following a slew of earlier requests.

Accordingly, the country appealed to a list of gaming, esports, and internet infrastructure firms.

In line with this, software giant Oracle Corp. responded immediately to the request. The business mentioned that it would halt its operations in the Russian Federation.

American video game company Electronic Arts (EA) also removed Russian teams from FIFA soccer games.

The outreach has helped convoy Starlink internet satellites from Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

It also brought new restrictions on Russian state media, RT and Sputnik across Europe. Social media titans YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, banned the Moscow-linked networks.

At the same time, Apple and Google blocked downloads from specific apps connected to the two Russian networks.

Accordingly, the appeal to tech firms is part of a broader strategy by Ukraine to isolate Russia.

The Ukrainian digital ministry also created an IT army to fight against Moscow’s digital intrusions.

This online force now numbered more than 250,000 volunteers at home and abroad linked to the messaging app Telegram.

It has disrupted access to Russian government websites and contacted about 50.00 million Russian civilians with information on the invasion. Ukraine has increasingly positioned itself as a tech hub in recent years. Notably, many global companies leverage their formidable IT outsourcing industry in the state.

The conflict has upended the previous robust tech sector. The IT services industry in Ukraine worked with more than 100 of Fortune 500 companies.

In the stated case, the sector accounted for 8.30% of the county’s total exports in 2020.

Recently, some tech firms have offered financial support to workers. They also set up hotlines and arranged for travel or housing for Ukrainians fleeing the escalating conflict.

Ukraine’s NFT Effort

Meanwhile, Ukraine also plans to sell non-fungible tokens (NFT), a digital asset, to fund its army.

The conflicted country said they would offer Ukrainian-style images and 3D models for sale. The proceeds will go to the Ukrainian forces and citizens.

Last week, the government raised cryptocurrency worth almost $13.00 million.

On Saturday, Ukraine asked for digital coins donations on Twitter. It posted digital wallets addresses for tokens, including bitcoin and ether.

Moreover, Washington also plans to put additional pressure on Moscow by targeting the country’s access to cryptocurrencies.

On Wednesday, the US Department of Justice announced a new task force broadly designed to enforce the punitive measures.