РНБОУ National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine

Valentin Petrov: Some Russian services pose a direct threat to the national security of Ukraine, and this is why the state limits their operation

Restrictive measures (sanctions) were imposed not against services or software but against legal entities or individuals that threaten the national security of Ukraine. This was stated on the air of "112" channel by Head of Service on Issues of Information Security of the Staff of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Valentin Petrov

According to him, the state has no intentions to restrict the will or freedom of persons to use any software or services. "We judge only by that some services of the Russian Federation pose a direct threat to the national security of Ukraine. That is why we limit their operation - access to telecommunication networks of general purpose", - he said.

Valentin Petrov drew an analogy between freedom of choice to use software and services, including Russian, and the use of safety belts in cars. "The state sets the rules for the use of safety belts. Automakers even put special lights that signal if you have not fastened seat belt. But there are always those who want to use special plugs or other devices to circumvent this signaling system. But it is their personal choice, their personal life, risk, and responsibility", - he pointed out.

The Head of Service on Issues of Information Security of the NSDC Staff also noted that the state will not apply any sanctions to such people. "It is their personal choice of which system to use. At the same time, the state's task is to protect its information space", - Mr. Petrov underscored.

He noticed that the latest sanctions against Russian software and services had already affected the budget losses of the Russian Federation and resulted in strengthening the security of Ukraine's information space. "If we manage to double-cut the user audience of Russian services, this will be a significant result for national security", - he summarized.