Rights groups: Russia building a 'digital ghetto' in occupied Ukrainian territories
In 2026, information blockades in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories have reached unprecedented levels, with hundreds of media sites, VPNs and messengers blocked while residents risk persecution over phone content. Ukrainian outlets are pushing back with FM broadcasts and specialized browsers.
Human rights advocates and Ukrainian media say the information blockade in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine has reached an unprecedented scale in 2026. According to Tetiana Kurmanova, head of Hromadske Radio, occupying authorities have moved beyond blocking individual websites to building a comprehensive digital isolation infrastructure meant to cut millions of people off from objective information.
Hundreds of outlets blocked
Internet providers, often without any formal decision, block more than a hundred Ukrainian news resources, state portals and human rights organization websites, including Hromadske Radio's own site. Access to independent VPN services and secure messaging apps is also regularly disrupted, while internet traffic is routed through Russian backbone networks, forcing users to authenticate through Russian identification systems. Ukrainian radio and TV signals are jammed or replaced with Russian propaganda broadcasts.
Phones as evidence of 'disloyalty'
Rights monitors report a growing pattern of so-called street filtering, in which occupation forces stop people and search their phones — photo galleries, browser history, and Telegram or YouTube subscriptions. A Ukrainian song, a saved article, or a subscription to a Ukrainian channel can become grounds for accusations of 'extremism' or 'espionage'. Residents describe cars being stopped and phones checked after shelling near checkpoints, for example on the way into Sevastopol.
Fighting back against the blackout
Hromadske Radio continues expanding a network of FM transmitters along the front line, since over-the-air broadcasts leave no digital trace that can be tracked. The outlet also promotes Ceno, a specialized browser that works on a torrent-like principle, allowing access to mirrored websites even when occupied territories are fully cut off from international internet channels. The organization urges people to practice digital hygiene, share verified information, and stay in touch with relatives under occupation through safe channels.
