Russia is establishing media loyal to the state in occupied territories – and wants to gain information sovereignty

Created: 11/20/2022, 11:46 am

By: Bettina Menzel

Soldiers watch a speech to the nation by Russian President Vladimir Putin on TV in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (archive image, September 21, 2022).

© IMAGO/RIA Novosti/ SNA

Russia is strengthening its positions in the occupied regions of Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhia and establishing media loyal to the state there.

Luhansk - After withdrawing from Kherson, the Russian army is now beginning to reinforce its positions in the occupied areas of Luhansk, Donetsk and East Zaporizhia with Kherson personnel and mobilized soldiers.

This emerges from the current report by the US war experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on Saturday.

At the same time, Moscow is apparently trying to gain information sovereignty in the occupied territories, possibly in order to get the population on its side in the Ukraine war.

Russian troops are massing in occupied territories

Heavy fighting is currently taking place in Donetsk.

Russian forces are likely to resume offensive operations in the Donetsk region and maintain defensive positions in the Luhansk region, Saturday's ISW report said.

Accordingly, the Russian army is strengthening its positions there, as the Ukrainian general staff confirmed on Sunday.

Although Russian President Vladimir Putin officially announced the end of partial mobilization in Russia at the end of October, it continues covertly.

Newly mobilized men would likely be sent through Mariupol to the western front line of Donetsk region, said Mariupol Mayor Advisor Petro Andryushenko.

The Ukrainian General Staff reported an increase in the number of Russian soldiers in the city of Luhansk.

In the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, the Russian authorities are apparently working to gain control of the information space.

The exact background is not clear from the ISW report, but the conclusion is that Russia wants to use the propaganda to get the local population on its side.

Because the pictures from the liberated Cherson were a disaster for the occupying power.

Videos and photos showed local residents cheering the Ukrainian soldiers, waving Ukrainian flags and celebrating in the streets.

In September, Russia illegally annexed the Cherson, Zaporizhia, Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Russia establishes state-loyal media in occupied territories

The Ukrainian Resistance Center said on Saturday "that the Russian authorities are sending propagandists to the occupied territories to organize television programs and set up branches of the 'All-Russian State Television and Radio Company' (VDTRK)".

The occupation authorities therefore want to use confiscated broadcasting property for their propaganda purposes, including the 196 meter high television towers in Mariupol and Melitopol.

Originally, the occupation authorities apparently wanted to employ local media specialists as well, but they refused to cooperate with the occupation regimes.

For this reason, Russian employees are now taking over the media work, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Moscow deploys intelligence forces in occupied territories to expose partisans

At the same time, the Russian occupation authorities are apparently trying to unmask Ukrainian partisans.

Partisans are armed fighters who do not belong to an official army.

The Russian secret service FSB has formed groups with counterintelligence specialists and representatives of other Russian security services, the Ukrainian Resistance Center reported on Saturday.

These forces are tasked with searching for Ukrainian partisan groups - Internet use is apparently also being monitored.

This also reflects the Russian strategy in Syria, the Ukrainian resistance center noted, according to the ISW report.

On Sunday, Ukraine's general staff announced that Russian occupiers would set up additional checkpoints in Luhansk to identify and arrest deserters.