Ukraine gets ready to block broadcasting by pro-separatist media

Ukraine is now looking to TV towers as a crucial tool in its embattled east, as the government plans to jam the airwaves in order to prevent the transmission of broadcasts by pro-separatist media outlets.

According to a report by Reuters, the Ukrainian government believes that people living in or near to separatist-controlled territory are faced with a barrage of biased TV and radio broadcasts. With much of eastern Ukraine’s broadcasting infrastructure either destroyed or held by separatists, Ukraine seeks to widen access to Ukrainian media in the region.

While a new TV tower was unveiled in the east in December, and three more are scheduled to begin operating in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions this year, Kiev is reportedly looking to bolster its defences in this regard. The secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, Oleksandr Turchynov, told his press service yesterday that the country is currently developing a scheme to obstruct pro-separatist broadcasts. A spokesperson for Mr Turchynov told Reuters that the necessary equipment for the project had passed tests in the conflict zone, but further details must remain secret.

Source: Reuters