All Ukrainian frequencies in 8 settlements of the peninsula north are unlawfully used by the Russian radio stations. In 11 settlements the Ukrainian FM broadcasting is partially present, though the Russian stations are heard on most frequencies. At the same time the signal of two Russian radio stations is heard at the CHONGAR and CHAPLYNKA check points on the Ukraine controlled territory.
This is confirmed by the Crimean Human Rights Group monitoring held in May 2019.
The CHRG representatives, with car audio units, monitored the propagation of Ukrainian FM radio station signal in 19 settlements of the Northern Crimea: towns of Armiansk, Krasnoperekopsk, and Dzhankoy, and settlements located along major roads: Ishun’, Zelenaya Niva, Vishnevka, Krasnoarmeyskoye, Istochnoye, Novoaleksandrovka, Martynovka, Solionoye Ozero, Zavet Leninskiy, Yermakovo, Pridorozhnoye, Predmostnoye, Zarechnoye, Ovoschnoye, Lobanovo, and Voinka.
The monitoring was also held at the CHONGAR and CHAPLYNKA check points, at both sides of the administrative border with the occupied Crimea.
The signal of five Ukrainian radio stations was well heard at the CHONGAR check point on the territory controlled by Ukraine:
100.7 UKRAINSKOYE RADIO
101.4 MEYDAN
102.6 PROMIN’
104.1 RADIO NV
105.9 KRYM. REALII
Three more Ukrainian stations can be heard jammed:
101.9 PERETS FM
103.0 ARMIA FM
107.8 KHERSON FM
At the same time the Russian SPUTNIK Radio is well heard at 87.7FM frequency and the Russian MORE Radio can be heard at 90.8FM frequency at the CHONGAR check point on the territory controlled by Ukraine.
The signal of four Ukrainian radio stations was well heard at the CHAPLYNKA check point on the territory controlled by Ukraine:
96.0 ARMIA FM
98.6 KRYM. REALII
102.3 MEYDAN
106.4 PROMIN’
Seven more Ukrainian radio stations can be also heard on this territory, but the signal quality is not stable, with interference present. These are the stations:
95.3 KULTURA RADIO
96.4 PERETS FM
99.8 RADIO NV
100.9 KHERSON FM
102.8 UKRAINSKOYE RADIO
105.9 KRYM.REALII
103.5 KHAYAT
The Russian SPUTNIK Radio can be heard jammed at 87.7FM frequency and the Russian MORE Radio can be heard at 90.8FM.
On the occupied territory at the CHONGAR and CHAPLYNKA check points the situation is absolutely different, with the Russian radio stations signal to be heard on the same frequencies in most cases.
Four Ukrainian stations: UKRAINSKOYE RADIO, PROMIN’, ARMIA FM, KHERSON FM may be heard at the CHONGAR check point on the occupied territory of Crimea. The Russian MORE radio is heard instead of RADIO NV, the signal of two radio stations overlaps at the KRYM.REALII frequency, and there are interferences at the PERETS FM frequency.
The signal of only two Ukrainian stations (jammed): KULTURA and ARMIA FM – is heard at the CHAPLYNKA check point on the occupied territory of Crimea.
At the same time the Russian SPUTNIK broadcasts on the MEYDAN Radio frequency, the Russian MAYAK – on that of KHAYAT Radio, the Russian VESTI Radio is heard instead of KRY.REALII, and VATAN SEDASY controlled by the occupants – instead of PROMIN’ radio.
Only jamming may be heard on the frequencies of 96MHz, 98.6MHz, and 102.8MHz instead of the signal of the Ukrainian stations.
The signal of the Ukrainian stations may be partly accessible in 10 of 19 settlements checked in the Northern Crimea.
Only one Ukrainian radio station may be heard in the settlements of Armiansk, Ishun’, Novoaleksandrovka, Martynovka, Pridorozhnoye, Ovoschnoye, and Lobanovo.
2 Ukrainian stations may be heard in Vishnevka, and Krasnoarmeyskoye, 3 stations – in Istochnoye, and 5 in Predmostnoye.
The KULTURA Radio is heard in 8 settlements of the list, KHERSON FM – in 7, UKRAINSKOYE RADIO – in 3, PERETS FM – in 3, ARMIA FM and PROMIN’ – in 1 of 19 checked.
As to remaining eight settlements (Krasnoperekopsk, Zelenaya Niva, Solionoye Ozero, Zavet Leninskiy, Yermakovo, Dzhankoy, Zarechnoye, and Voinka) only Russian FM stations can be heard on the Ukrainian broadcast frequencies.
Broadcasting of the Ukrainian FMs from Chaplynka in the Northern Crimea is replaced with such Russian stations:
KRYM – 95.3 – frequency of KULTURA Radio
MORE – 96.4 – frequency of PERETS FM
Russian RETRO FM – 100.9 – frequency of KHERSON FM
SPUTNIK – 102.3 – frequency of MEYDAN
MAYAK – 103.5 – frequency of KHAYAT
VATAN SEDASY – 106.4 – frequency of PROMIN’
Broadcasting of the Ukrainian FMs from Chongar in the Northern Crimea is replaced with such Russian stations:
SPUTNIK – 100.7 – frequency of UKRAINSKOYE RADIO
Russian EUROPA+– 101.9 – frequency of PERETS FM
VESTI – 102.6 – frequency of PROMIN’
KRYM – 103 – frequency of ARMIA FM
MORE – 104.1 – frequency of RADIO NV
VESTI – 105.9 – frequency of KRYM.REALII
VATAN SEDASY – 107.8 – frequency of KHERSON FM
Thus, the Russian authorities have almost blocked the Ukrainian FM broadcasting on the peninsula, having seized unlawfully the Ukrainian broadcast frequencies and deprived actually the Ukrainian nationals of access to the information of independent Ukrainian radio stations. Doing this, the RF authorities absolutely disregard that blacking out radio signals was declaimed by the International Telecommunication Convention in 1947 and the UN General Assembly in 1950.
An ever growing information isolation of Crimea is not only a gross violation of freedom of speech but also provides the occupying power with additional facility to violate further human rights and freedoms on the peninsula. Such actions must be stopped immediately, with broadcasting of the Ukrainian independent media on the peninsula to be restarted and the guilty of seizing unlawfully the Ukrainian radio frequencies to be held liable.
