Russia Blocks Facebook and Other Platforms Domestically to Prevent News of Ukraine Invasion

Russian Government: "Russia Is a Victim of Unprecedented Information Terrorism"

Temporary Shelter in Polish Border City Filled with Ukrainian Refugees
(Gorczowa AFP=Yonhap News) On the 2nd (local time), the temporary shelter in the Polish border city of Gorczowa is filled with Ukrainian refugees. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), since the Russian invasion on the 24th of last month, over 1 million people, accounting for more than 2% of the entire Ukrainian population (approximately 44 million), have fled abroad.

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] Russia has blocked access to the British BBC website and Facebook to prevent news about its invasion of Ukraine from being disseminated domestically.

British daily The Guardian and local Russian media reported on the 4th (local time) that the BBC website, Meta (Facebook), US Radio Liberty (RL), and news site "Meduza" have been blocked in Russia.

According to The Guardian, it appears that the BBC website was blocked just hours after the BBC resumed shortwave radio broadcasts to deliver news about the war between Ukraine and Russia to the people of both countries. Shortwave radio broadcasts have signals that travel farther and are easy to receive on portable radios. They were especially widely used during World War II and the Cold War era.

Earlier, the BBC announced that it would broadcast shortwave radio in English for four hours daily targeting Ukraine and parts of Russia. BBC Director-General Tim Davie said at the time, "It is often said that the first casualty of war is the truth," adding, "In a conflict rife with misinformation and propaganda, reliable independent journalism is needed, and millions of Russians are turning to the BBC."

According to "GlobalCheck," which monitors internet censorship in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region, accessibility to the BBC website in Russia dropped to 17% of normal levels. The Guardian reported that this indicates the BBC website has been blocked. The day before, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, claimed, "The BBC plays a decisive role in undermining Russia's stability and security," and "Russia is a victim of unprecedented information terrorism regarding the Ukraine incident."

Meanwhile, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that Roskomnadzor, Russia's telecommunications, information technology, and media regulator, blocked access to the BBC Russian service along with US government-supported RL and the news site "Meduza."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.