The Russian invaders are destroying the telecom infrastructure in the temporarily occupied territories so that the residents have no access to reliable information, Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar told the press.

"To prevent access to reliable information, the occupiers are destroying the telecom infrastructure. In particular, they are dismantling mobile equipment elements in the temporarily occupied territories and taking away Wi-Fi routers which were helping the locals access alternative sources of information," she said.

Earlier this month, the Russians started stealing telecom towers from the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson oblast and taking them away to the occupied areas of Donetsk oblast.

On October 6, the Russian occupiers disabled the Internet and mobile connection in Starobilsk (Luhansk oblast). Occupied Svatove (Luhansk oblast) has been in information isolation since September 11.