"To effectively counteract the Kremlin's propaganda, implementation of projects aimed to suppress hostile broadcasting is crucial," -- Iryna Herashchenko
On 8th September, together with Artur Herasimov, the head of the Ukrainian Permanent Parliamentary Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) and Iryna Friz, the head of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA), Iryna Herashchenko, the First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Presidential envoy on a peaceful settlement of the Donetsk-Luhansk clash paid a working visit to the Donbas, in the course of which they found out more about the “Serpanok” (“The Mist”) project targeted at suppressing hostile broadcasting down.
The temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk oblast became a breeding ground for fueling national enmity and hatred, disregard to state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine by the agency of broadcasting of some twenty enemy television channels and radio stations.
"Thanks to concerted efforts of our troopers from the armed forces and volunteers, there has been created the "Serpanok" system, covering for the time being some 180 settlements lengthwise the collision line designed to block the hostile TV and radio broadcasting. This is a very important step in the information warfare," informed I. Herashchenko.
During the conversation with the Ukrainian soldiers and locals, the need for more active counteraction to anti-state propaganda was discussed.
In particular, the military believes that the state, the relevant structures, in particular, the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine, the core committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Ministry of Information Policy should more rigorously react to all facts invoking ill will and hatred, disrespect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
In the course of the working visit, the parliamentarians met with the head of the search group, Lieutenant Colonel Yurii Ivashchenko, and discussed the search procedures over missing persons. Yurii Ivashchenko told that the search group was currently working on sites in the areas where hostilities had taken place earlier, investigating cemeteries in the settlements previously controlled by illegal armed groups. The head of the search group informed that there were dozens of graves at the cemeteries, graves on which very limited information about the buried was indicated. "It is obvious that all these graves require serious research, exhumation, and appropriate DNA testing as well," said I. Herashchenko.
The First Vice-Speaker Iryna Herashchenko expressed her hope that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine would quicken the work on establishing a special commission on persons disappeared under specific circumstances, which could thus allow involving representatives of humanitarian missions, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, in the searching activities.