How Ukraine Has Overcome Communication Obstacles and Russian Propaganda

Ukraine’s war against Russia continues. Since early 2022, Russian troops have launched an all-out offensive against the sovereign nation. Those attacks have included attacks on Ukraine’s internet and communication infrastructure. As such, folks must think a bit more critically about how to communicate important points and up-to-date news and information free from Russian interference.

Folks inside Ukraine have come up with several effective ways to send and receive messages, get news, and steer clear of Russian propaganda.

Here are some.

Briar. Briar is an app that works by sending messages over Bluetooth to smartphones. In this way, communication does not rely upon a data network or the internet, which could be subject to Russian interference. Briar uses Bluetooth connections between phones to create a “mesh network,” which allows its content to spread further than just person-to-person.

Germany4Ukraine. Germany4Ukraine is a dedicated web platform providing information to Ukrainian refugees. The service is operated by the German Ministry of the Interior and Community, and receives official funding and attention by the German government. Available in Ukrainian, Russian, English and German, the database collects all information from across German ministries, like how to apply for a visa, shelter, medical care, and other services. The site also has a chat function available, so that refugees can have individual needs attended to. 

UkrInform. UkrInform is a community based multimedia broadcasting site that provides multiple language updates of the ongoing war situation, especially in Eastern Ukraine, where efforts are more destructive. The effort, based in Kyiv, is a team of journalists committed to providing concise, up-to-date information on ongoing attacks in the east. 

Prykhystok. The Ukrainian word for “Shelter,” Pryhystok is an online database for giving information to people who lost their homes to the war effort. The site provides links to up-to-date news articles as well and has a rolling database of available houses and rooms for Ukrainian refugees. The page also contains a boatload of information surrounding countries available to take in Ukrainians as refugees, as well as information for visitors on safety and accreditation for journalists.

The Tor Project. The Tor Project is an initiative created to block the user’s location and IP address from being accessed by an outside party, essentially rendering the user locationless and not subject to firewalls when searching the internet. If the internet is being censored, Tor can help you get around those censors. It will also render any and all tracking and surveillance software moot, as the user’s location and identity will be protected. 

Creativity is essential when thinking about how to get around an oppressive regime’s wartime tactics. Clarity, brevity, and anonymity are tantamount to learning the most up-to-date and honest information about the war in Ukraine as it stands. And as the country continues to resist Russia, and more changes—this list of what is safe to communicate with may change as well.