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Ukraine's Security at Risk from Chinese Surveillance Systems: Report

A new report claims China could access 80-90% of surveillance cameras in Ukraine, posing a direct security threat during the war. Chinese manufacturer Hikvision installed 7,000 smart cameras in Kyiv, capable of facial and license plate recognition. Concerns also extend to Chinese-made batteries in mobile base stations and energy equipment from Chinese brands. The report notes that only the USA has more tech influence on Ukraine than China.

Key Points: Ukraine Security Threat from Chinese Surveillance

  • China could access 80-90% of Ukraine's surveillance cameras
  • Hikvision installed 7,000 cameras in Kyiv Smart City
  • Chinese-made batteries in base stations have remote control capabilities
  • Concerns extend to energy equipment from Ecoflow, Bluetti, Deye
2 min read

Ukraine faces huge security threat due to Chinese access to surveillance systems: Report

China may access 80-90% of Ukraine's surveillance cameras, including drone feeds, posing a war-time security threat, claims new report.

"If China has a backdoor, it can see a lot on the streets of the capital. - Oleksandr Kardakov, Octava Capital founder"

New Delhi, April 23

China could potentially access 80-90 per cent of surveillance cameras in Ukraine, including those on reconnaissance drones, posing a direct security threat during war and chances of drone interception, a new report has claimed.

The report from Ukrainian media dev.ua said that there have already been cases of Russians intercepting the control of Ukrainian drones.

The report cited Octava Capital founder Oleksandr Kardakov as saying that Chinese manufacturer Hikvision installed 7,000 cameras in Kyiv Smart City project by 2020.

These smart cameras perform tasks such as recognising licence plates and faces along with monitoring security in schools and kindergartens.

"If China has a backdoor, it can see a lot on the streets of the capital. And not only in the capital. Hikvision is the most popular video surveillance system in Ukraine," the report further stated.

In the US, Hikvision and Dahua equipment feature in the Federal Communications Commission's list and hence an unacceptable risk to national security of Ukraine. Sensitive facilities that fall under Chinese intelligence legislation are prohibited from deploying surveillance systems in the UK, the report added.

The report said concerns extend well beyond cameras to mobile operators' base stations. Chinese‑made batteries at mobile operators' base stations often have remote control capabilities. Most of the smartphones in the networks are also from China.

Further energy equipment from Ecoflow, Bluetti, Deye are bestsellers in Ukraine, which provide household electricity homes during the energy crisis.

"Only one country, besides China, has more tech influence on Ukraine - the USA. United States control the largest payment systems - Visa, Mastercard and also the cloud - AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google. The States control AI - Open AI (ChatGPT), Anthropic (Claude), Gemini," the report noted.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
Interesting how this report from Ukraine points out that the US also has massive tech influence over Ukraine—payments, cloud, AI. So it's a double-edged sword. Is any country really independent in this digital age? 🤔
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Priya S
Hikvision cameras are everywhere in India too—in our offices, malls, and even government buildings. This report should make our policymakers sit up and take notice. We can't just rely on Chinese hardware without proper security audits. Yaar, it's scary how vulnerable we might be! 😰
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Robert G
The report mentions Chinese batteries and energy equipment too. It's not just about cameras—it's a whole ecosystem. Ukraine is fighting a war and their critical infrastructure is potentially compromised. That's a nightmare scenario.
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Vikram M
While I agree about the security risks, let's not forget that many countries including India benefit from affordable Chinese tech. The solution isn't to ban everything—it's to have better cybersecurity protocols and develop our own alternatives. Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas, but with eyes wide open. 😊
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Michael C
The US controlling payment systems and cloud is also a concern—just from a different angle. This shows that digital sovereignty is almost impossible in today's world. Every country has to pick its battles and dependencies.
K

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