The decision of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko about the ban on Ukraine, some Russian websites, email and search engines adopted them a few days ago, has caused a mixed reaction.
The Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat in its advanced article described Ukraine’s actions as the introduction of a caesura. According to the newspaper, banned by the Ukrainian Internet resources are not Russian weapon of propaganda.
Ivanna klympush-Tsintsadze, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine on issues of European integration, strongly supports the decision of its President.
“The Russian propaganda machine is using these resources in an effective tool, whose activities we all have already felt. There are certain groups whose task is part of Ukraine and the extension of the so-called “Russian world”. It is a well known and indisputable fact,” said klympush-Tsintsadze in an interview with Verkkouutiset.
She drew attention to the words of the founder of the social network of “Vkontakte” Pavel Durov about the fact that the Russian security service FSB demanded to obtain access to personal data of Ukrainian users.
“This means that the data is not protected, and in these circumstances we will not be able to provide security to its citizens,” she said.
Social networks as a tool of Russian intelligence services
According to klympush-Tsintsadze, there is a lot of evidence that the Russian intelligence services and the forces acting at their behest, openly and purposefully used to be close online resources to disrupt the situation in Ukraine.
In addition to social network “Vkontakte” in Ukraine stops, social network and search engine Yandex.
According to klympush-Tsintsadze, the closure of Russian websites is a necessary condition to ensure freedom of speech and protection of democracy in Ukraine in the conditions of the illegal Russian takeover of Crimea and support for the war in the East of Ukraine.
“The Russian news sources that spread the lies about the so-called “Russian world”, far from complying with European values. If they managed to achieve their goal, they certainly would not allow any of the plurality of positions and opinions,” she says.
“Ukraine wants to get rid of these resources to protect their democratic foundations from those whose goal is the complete destruction of democracy,” added the Vice Premier.
“Casualties of war concerned only one Ukraine”
Well-known Ukrainian journalist and civic activist Alya Shandra said that to a certain extent understand the criticism addressed to the President Poroshenko.
Often this criticism, in its opinion, is lack of awareness about the plight of the country subjected to aggression and facing a difficult choice.
“Russian social networks are indeed an instrument of a hybrid war,” — says one of the founders of independent online portal Euromaidan Press Alya Shandra in an interview with Verkkouutiset.
“The founder of the social networks “Vkontakte” and “Classmates” is a Pro-Putin oligarch, therefore, it is clear that the Russian intelligence service FSB has access to all the information which Ukrainians are divided in those networks — including on the locations of military units of Ukraine,” says Shandra.
Anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, which is filled with lies about the new Russia and direct incitement to war, enters the social network “Vkontakte” without being censored. In addition, the network provides the opportunity for all sorts of Russian propaganda operations.
“It seems to me that the West do not even have a clear idea about the war being waged in Eastern Ukraine. Even less is known about the information war and cyber-attacks,” she says.
“We have become accustomed to the fact that Western journalists and human rights organizations condemn the actions that Ukraine is taking to ensure its own security,” — said the journalist.
In this case it refers to the restriction of activities of Russian information channels in Ukraine.
“In war you often have to make a choice between national security and democratic freedoms. Ukraine has to balance. The war that Russia is waging against Ukraine, and the victims of this war concerned only one Ukraine”, — she adds.
