Russia has seized communications outlets in territories it has seized during its invasion of Ukraine and already begun broadcasting state-run channels.
The development comes as the Russian parliament on Friday approved prison sentences for up to 15 years for reporters that disseminate information contrary to the government position on the war.
Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported on its Telegram account, a social media platform popular in Europe, that Russia already is broadcasting on channels on television and three radio stations.
“There will surely be a lot of disinformation, fakes and propaganda about Ukraine. Our government will never give up our land. Everything you’ll hear will be a complete lie,” warned a statement from the National Guard of Ukraine.
Russian broadcast control was mostly noticed in the Kherson region of southwestern Ukraine, just north of Crimea, which fell on Thursday. Russian troops shelled the city, overran it and occupied the city of Kherson’s main government building.
Other major cities, like Melitopol, have been occupied too. A telecommunications tower and radio broadcasting stations have been captured too.
Preparations for a supposed pro-Russian rally were already underway. Ukraine’s Security Service agents on the ground reported that 60-80 Russians from Crimea have arrived in the city and put in the “Fregar” hotel.
“There is also information that the occupiers seized a warehouse with clothes of the local police,” said the statement from the security service.
The region's democratically elected regional administrator Henadyi Laguta reported that two of Ukraine’s biggest mobile networks, Kyivstar and Vodafone, have been disconnected in the entire Kherson region. The service for Vodafone was later restored according to a statement from Viktoria Ruban.
The city was struck by artillery fire, most of it targeting civilian infrastructure.
Russia has not allowed one of the “humanitarian corridors” – which were agreed to on Thursday by the two sides – to be established with the rest of unoccupied Ukraine to supply the citizens with medical supplies and food. The city is nearing a humanitarian collapse.
“Right now, trucks with food and humanitarian aid from friends of our city could be in the town. But Kherson is encircled by the enemy, and these cars are not allowed through,” reported Laguta on a Telegram account.