As Russia seized the Ukrainian Internet in the occupied territories, parsing NYT
To do this, the occupier directs traffic from Moscow through the Crimea and further into the territory of the government temporarily uncontrollable. The New York Times wrote about how Russia captures the Ukrainian Internet. Journalists recalled that a few weeks after Kherson's seizure, Russian soldiers came to the offices of local Internet providers and ordered them to be controlled by the network.
Then the Russian authorities redirected mobile and Internet dances from Kherson through Russian networks. The invaders have blocked access to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as well as to Ukrainian news sites and other sources of information, then disconnected Ukrainian cellular networks, forcing the city residents to use Russian operators. "What happened in Kherson is repeated in other parts occupied by Russia," the publication reads.
According to analysts, changing the traffic route and censorship of the Ukrainian Internet with Russia have no analogues in history. Even in the case of Beijing, when he took control of Hong Kong, since 2019, the Internet has not undergone such rigid censorship as on China's mainland. In some Russian -occupied areas of Ukraine, digital censorship is even worse than in the Russian Federation. Yes, Google, YouTube and Viber messenger were blocked in Kherson and Donetsk regions.
In 2014, after Russia occupied Crimea, the state telecommunications company of the Russian Federation paved underwater cable and other infrastructure through the Kerch Strait for redirection of Internet traffic from Crimea to Russia. Data from Ukrainian networks are now redirected to the south through Crimea by these cables. On May 30, the traffic of Kherson Internet providers such as Skynet and Telecom status suddenly disappeared.
Over the next few days, the Internet connection was restored in people, but it worked through a controlled Russian telecommunications company in Crimea Miranda Media, according to the publication. In addition, Russian troops often destroy the infrastructure that connected the Internet in the occupied territories with the rest of Ukraine and the global network. As of June, about 15% of Ukrainian Internet Infrastructure across the country has been damaged or destroyed.
At least 11% of all cellular stations do not work due to damage or lack of power. The occupiers also demand that Ukrainians present a passport so that they can buy a SIM card with a Russian telephone number. This facilitates the Russian military process of tracking people through mobile devices. "We are watching the occupation of the Ukrainian Internet," said the Alps of Toker, Netblocks director, online monitoring services based in London.