Russia to ban soldiers from using personal mobile phones in Ukraine

Russian servicemen have strongly criticized the newly approved ban on smartphones in the special military operation (SMO) zone. The State Duma voted for this measure on July 24th 2024. Under the new rule, soldiers caught with gadgets while on duty will face disciplinary arrest. The ban will take effect if it receives approval from the Federation Council and the president’s signature.

Smartphones are currently replacing military personnel’s paper maps of the area, which are seriously outdated. This was told to Lenta.ru by the operator of the battalion headquarters Lavr (call sign changed).

Russian servicemen and military bloggers have criticized the decision, pointing out that many soldiers rely on their phones and the Telegram messaging app because Russia has not provided reliable communication for its military.

“Most of the maps that were printed in advance were in folders, they do not correspond to reality. It turned out that the electronic maps that were dumped, they, in general, not only did not correspond to reality, but rather were out of date by literally six or seven years. And the same enemy reverse structures were not marked on them, simply because they did not physically exist yet,” Lavr said.

“This measure makes no sense, as the current order from the Russian Ministry of Defense already bans smartphones in the army,” said one officer who is serving in the Donetsk direction.