The pro-Russian separatists in control of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions have blocked access to Google. As they claim, the US tech giant promotes terrorism.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, it has not been a big secret that Russia has been fighting the spread of information about the conflict, particularly the “war” narrative. Officials along the Volga are talking about a “special operation.”
Now Denys Pushilin, the self-proclaimed leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic, has decided to block Google’s operations on his territory. As he claims, they “promote terrorism and violence against Russians.” The Luhansk region has made a similar decision.
This is important in the context of the entire conflict, since Google’s services also include Maps, but especially the access to current information in the area.
As a reminder, it was these republics (Donetsk and Luhansk) that served as a kind of means in launching the armed invasion on Ukrainian territory. Indeed, their decisions in the controlled areas have implications if only for civilians living within their borders.
