The so-called Ministry of State Security (MGB) of the Transnistrian region has for the first time published a list of Telegram channels considered “undesirable”. The list includes independent media projects from the right bank of the Dniester, as well as the largest media platform in the region, reports the IPN correspondent from Tiraspol.
The channels “ЧЕРНЫЙ | БЕЛЫЙ СПИСОК ПМР”, “ЧБ ПМР Life Style”, “Республика ВГ”, “Топор live | ПМР”, “ЧТД Приднестровье”, “МОЛНИЯ ПМР”, “Приднестровье 112”, “600 секунд МОЛДОВА”, “MOLDANALYTICS”, “PRIVIREA”, “НЕМОРАРЬ”, “Молдавский телескоп”, “Бессарабский”, “AVA TV”, “Начало Перемен”, “МОСТ | Приднестровье”, “Zona de Securitate”, “Приднестровье” and “Маленькая страна” are targeted.
In a statement, the so-called ministry claims that these channels would publish materials on behalf of the local population and would use socio-economic themes to induce panic. At the same time, the structure accuses them of discrediting the region, spreading false information about the economic situation and the Russian peacekeeping mission, urging citizens to report them to the trust line.
In response, the editorial board of “МОСТ” stated that it is an independent news outlet and does not coordinate its activities with any state structure or special service. “Such messages represent an attempt to hinder the activity of journalists in the Transnistrian region and to further aggravate the already precarious situation regarding press freedom and respect for human rights in the region,” the representatives of the editorial board pointed out.
The representatives of “Zona de Securitate” have characterized the statement as part of a broader campaign to discredit independent media and influence public opinion. “We consider this call from the MGB as part of a broader campaign to discredit our editorial team and influence public opinion in the region. Moreover, the inclusion on this list of channels whose administrators are, according to our information, actually employees of the MGB, misleads the population on the left bank of the Dniester,” the editorial representatives assert.
At the same time, the program director of Promo-LEX, Vadim Vieru, believes that the publication of the list represents an attempt to definitively eliminate from the information space of the region the information sources that are not under the control of the administration in Tiraspol.
According to him, independent Telegram channels have remained the only platforms where residents from the left bank of the Dniester can discuss real socio-economic problems. In his opinion, such statements pursue two objectives: intimidating the administrators of these portals by threatening with potential reprisals and discouraging residents from reading, discussing and distributing alternative information. At the same time, Vadim Vieru drew attention to the call to report the activity of the channels to the trust phone, appreciating this fact as encouraging the practice of denunciations.
The Bureau of Reintegration Policies stated that the constant accusations against the constitutional authorities and the fueling of fear are part of the hybrid influence techniques used to promote separatism and destabilize society.
The publication of this list takes place against the backdrop of the informational campaign carried out in the region on the subject of a possible reintegration. Since the beginning of June, the structures from Tiraspol regularly publish materials and organize round tables where they invoke alleged negative consequences of integration with the right bank of the Dniester, including the loss of social guarantees, the restriction of the use of the Russian language, and other scenarios.
One of the most important communities from the published list is “Черный | Белый список ПМР”, which has been in existence for over ten years and has become one of the largest unofficial public platforms in the region. Over time, through it, residents have reported urban problems, the activity of municipal services, incidents and other situations of public interest.
