UK intelligence unveils motives for Russia's propaganda TV channel in Donetsk

This information was disclosed by the UK Ministry of Defence.

Residents of the Russian-occupied area of the Donetsk region now have access to local news broadcasts in the Russian language from one of Russia's largest television and radio companies.

On September 4, the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) launched a Donetsk franchise and commenced broadcasting in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. 

These broadcasts, provided by the Russian TV channel Rossiya 1, offer a Russian perspective on the ongoing conflict and are part of Russia's broader strategy to establish permanent control over the region.

Following the invasion, Ukrainian broadcasters have been offering Russian-language content to local viewers. The government-controlled “DPR” broadcasters also aired Russian national news programs as part of a propaganda effort but didn't provide local broadcasts.

Setting up VGTRK broadcasting in Donetsk took over a year, having first been announced in 2022. This delay may have been caused by the refusal of local technical specialists to work.

According to intelligence reports, even though Ukrainian broadcasts are blocked on television, they are still accessible to a broad audience via the Internet. In areas with Russian filtering restrictions, viewers use VPNs and other circumvention technologies. Mobile phones connected to Ukrainian providers likely have no restrictions.

• British intelligence made predictions about the outcomes of the "elections" in the occupied territories and suggested that the United Russia party would likely receive the most votes.