Journalists of NA "Vchasno" found that the flow of TV propaganda in the Donetsk region was stopped only in Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, Dobropillia, Pokrovsk and Dobropillia districts. The remaining settlements of the front-line region continue to receive signals from the occupied territory.
According to the residents of Pokrovsk, yesterday the broadcasting of Russian TV channels stopped, and the TV channels of militants were also disconnected.
"Throughout the 4 years of Russian aggression in Donbass in Pokrovsk, all the propaganda channels - Russian and Donetsk "Oplot"," Novorossia", "First Republican" and others, were freely showed," said Maria Davydenko. - All anti-Ukrainian rhetoric was freely available to every resident of front-line Donbas. And in Dobropillia district, people could see these channels in good quality. Today, finally, the flow of propaganda in the TV-ether has been stopped. In Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, Dobropillia, Pokrovsk and Dobropillia districts, Russian channels are not shown, the channels of the militants “Oplot” and “Novorossiya” are also turned off, in part, “The First Republican” is shown. It is unclear why Ukraine made this important step only after 4 years of the war."
However, already 20 km from Pokrovsk in the direction of Donetsk residents of the front-line villages did not see any changes in their TVs - here, as before, the channels of the "DNR" and the Russian Federation are freely broadcasted.
"We are in Pervomaisk shown propaganda channels like before. And mostly they are broadcasted; there are almost no Ukrainian," Vasily Bashtannikov, a resident of a front-line village told journalists.
In Avdiivka, people are also still forced to watch separatist TV. According to local activist Anton Voronov, only two Ukrainian TV channels are currently available in the city – “Donbas” and “UA-First”, and in very poor quality.
"I have only two Ukrainian TV channels – “Donbas" without sound and "UA-First", also with interference, - says Anton Voronov. - But in excellent quality, there are 15 Russian and separatist TV channels. So there is nothing to watch except anti-Ukrainian propaganda. Recently, the Ukrainian radio has disappeared, and because of shelling the city again without water. It remains for us only to turn off the light, and we will be like in the 15th century."
The situation in the frontline Toretsk is a little better. There, too, residents can watch the full range of TV channels of militants, but Ukrainian channels are also available/
According to Toretsk activist Andrey Grudkin, using a conventional antenna on the roof of a nine-story building, he can watch on television about 13 channels of militants.
"I have shown in good quality “The First Russian Channel”, “Novorossia-TV”, “Oplot”, “Oplot-2”, “NTV”, “Republican”, “Oplot-TV”, “Russia-24”, “RenTV","Spas","STS", - said the resident of Toretsk. "At the same time, all Ukrainian TV channels that can only be caught on a regular antenna are also available."
In Sloviansk near which the TV tower was destroyed for a long time, the three propaganda channels – “Oplot-TV”, “Russia -1” and “Russia -24” - are broadcast stably.
"This morning I switched on and easily caught Bazurin on “Oplot-TV”, and at the same time two more Russian TV channels," said Alexander Belimenko, a resident of Sloviansk. "Everything is the same as in 2014".
Even worse is the situation in the frontline Mariinka, which suffers not only from constant shelling by militants but also from an information vacuum.
According to Volunteer Serhiyi Kosyak, only one Ukrainian TV channel is available in the city, and even only to owners of powerful antennas.
"Only one Ukrainian TV channel can be caught in Mariinka - it's "1 + 1", and only if it's a very powerful antenna," the volunteer said. - But all the TV channels of the so-called "DNR" are available, countless. The TV tower, which stands on Petrovka, was transferred to the broadcasting of Russian TV channels, and its signal completely covers Mariinka, Krasnohorivka, and all nearby villages. No one blocks anything, people look at what they are shown because they have no choice. "
Thus, in the fourth year of the war, the residents of the region still remain unprotected before anti-Ukrainian propaganda.
The video was shot in the front-line cities of the Donetsk region in March 2018: