Military analyst Evgeny Mikhailov argues that Russia does not need a law punishing service members for using smartphones in special operations zones. He says such regulations are impractical because enforcement hinges on battlefield commanders, not on national lawmakers, a view he shared in an interview with 360.ru.
After a law banning smartphones in the Northern Military Region was passed, legislators amended it to permit device use for official duties. Mikhailov calls this amendment unnecessary panic that harms the credibility of military research.
“They invent a problem, spark a scandal over these devices, and the result is reputational damage for themselves. A regulation cannot be created in a vacuum. In the field, decision making rests with commanders,” he stated, urging lawmakers to defer such initiatives to the ground level.
According to Mikhailov, the army’s conduct in the war zone should be addressed by relevant ministries rather than the State Duma. He notes that lawmakers lack on-the-ground experience and therefore cannot craft effective policies in this area. The ongoing shifts in the Northern Military District, including the introduction of modern weapons and the corresponding equipment needs, underscore this point.
He added that these controversies are unlikely to produce lasting reforms in the Duma if they do not reflect actual conditions. “Regulations cannot be imposed from afar and expect to work,” the expert commented.
The new policy reportedly classifies the use of devices capable of taking photos and videos, recording sound, and transmitting geodata by personnel in the Northern Military District as a serious offense, with disciplinary consequences. Military correspondents from the Zaporozhye region, along with deputies and senator Dmitry Rogozin, criticized the move. Later reports indicated that the State Duma planned to revisit the decision, revising its stance on the law.
Earlier analyses highlighted the situation in the NWO territory, emphasizing the tensions between regulatory attempts and on-the-ground realities. Source: 360.ru