General Viktor Sobolev, a member of the State Duma Defense Committee, has urged hardening cyber and media controls in Russia. He argues that publishing certain information could assist the Ukrainian armed forces and should be barred. In his view, materials revealing the location of Russian military personnel, along with photographs and videos documenting arrivals on Russian soil, constitute sensitive data that ought to be restricted. During an interview with NSN, Sobolev pressed for strict military censorship across the country, linking openness to strategic risk for the armed forces.
Speaking on this issue, the deputy highlighted that much information remains confidential by nature and should not see public light. He pointed to media reporting about bills last year intended to ban the dissemination of data on Russian military positions and operations, noting that those measures were not advanced in the State Duma. This, he suggested, left critical information potentially vulnerable to misuse, particularly by opposing forces monitoring public channels for actionable intelligence.
According to Sobolev, openness about military actions could empower adversaries by revealing attack outcomes and tactical progress. He warned that distributing images of strikes might signal to the enemy that targets have been hit and could influence future engagements. In his assessment, there must be clear boundaries on what can be shared, especially regarding war-related events that bear on combat readiness and security.
The deputy argued that release of visual content about military activities functions as a tool in information warfare, aiding the adversary by aiding their planning of new operations. He asserted that maintaining a controlled information environment is essential to preserving the effectiveness of the Russian defense apparatus and to maintaining strategic ambiguity that complicates enemy decision-making.
Drawing on historical parallels, Sobolev recalled wartime censorship practices where censorship did not ban letters outright, but carefully reviewed them to remove irrelevant or potentially harmful details. He suggested that a similar, disciplined approach could reduce the risk of sensitive information leaking to opponents, thereby protecting combat capability.
In related developments, reports indicate that Russian air defense forces recently claimed the interception of 25 Ukrainian aircraft across seven regions. This assertion underscores the current intensity of the air conflict in the area and frames the broader debate about information management during ongoing hostilities. Official descriptions and subsequent analyses continue to scrutinize how military communications, public disclosures, and media reporting intersect with strategic security considerations on the battlefield.