Russian forces re-register SIM cards to fight resistance - advisor to Mariupol mayor Andriushchenko

He shared the information with Espreso TV.

"The mobile operator on the territory of Mariupol has already said that all recipients of services from this operator must register. At the beginning of the occupation, this was done without a passport, now they are starting to re-register. This means that each phone will be tied to a specific owner and it will be relatively easy to find out who transmitted data or had connections with Ukraine through mobile traffic data," said Petro Andriushchenko.

This is how Russia is trying to fight the Ukrainian resistance.

"We know how to manage this, but it will be a little more difficult, especially for people in the city who may simply transmit something without knowing. That's why we are stepping up our efforts to explain how to stay safe when transmitting data concerning residents. This is part of the repression, the final point. Even arrests do not help anymore," explained the advisor to the mayor of Mariupol.

Andriushchenko emphasized that Android users have noticed hidden third-party apps on their phones: "The threat is that, in fact, your smartphone becomes an open book, the enemy can use the camera that is on smartphones, has access to the microphone, headphones."

• On the evening of Friday, May 19, an explosion occurred in the suburbs of Mariupol and near an airport. As a result of the explosions, 24 Russian servicemen were killed and 37 others were injured of varying severity.

• After the explosions in Mariupol the day before, Russian troops relocated to the city of Novoazovsk, which is situated on the coast of the Azov Sea, east of Mariupol.