Vladislav Berdichevsky: On Ukrainian territory they prefer to watch DPR channels

DPR television channels have long been effective tools for waging information warfare. The Ukrainian side also recognized this fact when they tried to blow up one of the Donetsk television towers. PolitNavigator correspondents interviewed DPR People's Council deputy Vladislav Berdichevsky, who spoke about the work of the Novorossiya TV channel and Ukrainian repressions against freedom of speech.

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P.N.: In addition to the fact that you are a deputy of the People’s Council of the DPR, you are also directly related to Novorossiya TV. It’s no secret that this channel is one of the leaders in the information war against Ukrainian aggression. Please tell us about in which cities of Ukraine the Novorossiya TV channel is available, and what their reaction is to what they see.

V.B.: We can say that our television covers half of the Donetsk region, and I think so, part of the Dnepropetrovsk region. There are accurate data - today they were confirmed again - I called my comrades in that territory - our north is completely covered: the cities of Krasnoarmeysk, Selidovo, and it is clear that for that part - for Sands our canals are definitely taken. People watch our channels, people write, they say that Ukrainian television is continuous propaganda, continuous praise of the Ukrainian government, some imaginary achievements, and they only watch what is happening here. I would also like to note the issue that all satellite dishes that are located in the territory controlled by Kyiv are registered by the SBU, so Russian channels, channels that could receive DPR and LPR channels, they are all blocked.

P.N.: Tell me, please, in a recent interview, the Minister of Communications told us that you can watch our channels, in particular, specifically “Novorossiya-TV” in Izyum, Kharkov region, partially in Zaporozhye region, is that so?

V.B.: Partially so. But Ukrainian specialists are now installing jammers there. By the way, an interesting fact is that when they installed a “jammer” on Krasnoarmeysk, for some reason the Donetsk radio began to work there. It didn’t accept there, but for some reason it began to accept. Things happen differently in different localities. Let's say Mariupol does not receive either Russian channels or ours at all. Therefore, in each locality everything happens differently.

P.N.: As I understand it, these are special measures applied, in particular, to Mariupol, for example.

V.B.: Yes, there is special attention paid specifically to the city of Mariupol.

P.N.: Are they primarily fighting against Novorossiya TV or all DPR channels?

V.B.: They are fighting against all DPR channels, and against Russian ones. Because if people are constantly hammered into their heads with propaganda, starting from a young age, then it is natural that mankurts will grow up. They understand this very well, and pay special attention to the large cities of Donbass.

P.N.: Please tell me, maybe there are some vivid, textured reviews about what people say in Kyiv-controlled territory after they watch the programs.

V.B.: Yes, there are reviews. There are reviews from Avdeevka. Almost everyone there only watches our channels, they don’t watch Ukrainian channels at all, they say that they are not going to watch this nonsense.
P.N.: Do you think the Ukrainian side has the opportunity to improve its position, in terms of gaining more trust from the viewer?

V.B.: Well, you understand that the people who live in Donbass know everything first-hand, they have many relatives on our territory, so hammering this lie, this propaganda into their heads is very problematic. Therefore, it is natural that Kyiv pays special attention to Donbass in terms of propaganda, not to mention what is happening in schools: they are all Ukrainized, and it is natural that Western countries will pay great attention and help - install “jammers”, more powerful transmitters to jam our signals. Therefore, the information war is just beginning, and it will be waged as long as there is a leadership in Kyiv that pursues Nazi policies.

P.N.: How do you think the situation will develop in the future? Our prospects and their prospects? Who is winning now in the information confrontation?

V.B.: I think that, after all, we are winning, since almost 90% of the reviews are from people who have a choice, who can watch both our channels and Ukrainian channels - people watch our channels and Russian ones, naturally. They are unlikely to be able to win informationally in Donbass.

P.N.: Please tell me that the Ukrainian side often positions itself as a “victorious democracy”, that we have almost North Korea here, and they have freedom there, and so on. At the same time, as far as I know, even for the fact that people simply watch DPR channels, they can be persecuted. Is there such a wording?

V.B.: We do not register “plates”. Recently they told me what was happening in Svetlodarsk - this is a city next to Uglegorsk, which is under our control, and Svetlodarsk is under the control of Kyiv. The cable operator had one of the packages with Novorossiya and Russian channels. The locals knew about this, they knew that there was no need to spread it, but somehow the SBU found out, and the management of the cable operator had very big problems. They were in the SBU, and I don’t know at what stage everything is there now. Our channels were removed from this package. It is clear that there is no talk of any democracy or freedom of speech, just like with the ban on Odnoklassniki, Vkontakte and a number of Russian channels and Internet resources. We can understand perfectly well that there is censorship and dictatorship in Ukraine. There is no need to even argue on this topic. Any person understands that if a number of resources that broadcast in the language of the inhabitants of this country are banned in a country, then this is censorship of the dictatorship.

P.N.: What will happen to a person if an ordinary viewer is caught by the SBU for watching our channels?

V.B.: An ordinary person will simply be given a warning, and he will be under the control of the SBU, and the broadcasters will have problems.