How does Russia use the occupied internet and what can be done about it?

As Olena Kushnir points out, any change that occurs in any community is usually effective when the community itself is involved. In addition, the involvement of the state is also important – then a good result will be achieved. Today we see what the community is doing under international law, how it can strengthen its work in collaboration with the RIPE NCC (Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Center – regional Internet registrar for Europe, the Middle East and part of Central Asia). It controls the distribution and registration of Internet resources: IPv4, IPv6 addresses and the number of autonomous systems). So the question is what we can do and whether there are enforcement mechanisms. Is it possible to accelerate them and apply them to some individual legal entities, other participants in this market? To what extent can the state be involved and to what extent should it be involved? Maybe it’s already in the works?

Russians don’t just steal toilets in the occupied territories. They export everything – both equipment and grain. And Internet resources are no exception. This is a very valuable resource. And, of course, they are trying to seize Internet resources, as well as the complete seizure of enterprises, buildings, equipment.
– Begins Andrii Pylypenko.

He adds: “We have been in talks with RIPE for a long time. Unfortunately this is not the only case and RIPE is not the only one who adheres to neutrality. We know that the Yermak-McFaul group (the sanctions working group develops) documents, strategies, with plans and recommendations for the imposition of sanctions against Russia. and list of roadmaps, – ed.), developing mechanisms that monitor the circumvention of sanctions, assist in the more targeted application of sanctions directly to actors, as well as impose secondary sanctions.

In November 2022, this group’s report on IT and related technologies used by Russia for its armed aggression was published. Why is knowing necessary in our community, and how does it affect our community? First of all, when Russia seized all these resources, there is no internet anymore. They cut off all normal resources, practices, whatever in the democratic world, it stops working there. Only what the FSB and Russia want starts to work there. That is, they caught the providers in the occupied territories, supposedly providing the Internet there, but on this Internet it will always be under the guise of advertising, under the guise of some social networks and groups, and under the guise of other technologies that can involve Russia, only for example, the civilian population of Ukraine bombed, Ukraine detonated a nuclear bomb, Ukraine blew up Kakhovskaya HEPP, etc..

All this is used by Russia only to achieve its military goals. Here we see that the Internet has become not only a hybrid, but also an absolutely direct, absolutely real tool, if not the most important, in the conduct of war. People are deceived, people are forced to go to the warlords formed there, people are forced to believe. People are completely brainwashed by propaganda, joining illegal armed groups and going to kill,
– Says Andriy Pylypenko.

The lawyer adds that sanctions have been imposed by the EU and the USA after the annexation of Crimea and what happened to the illegal terrorist organizations that call themselves “DPR” and “LPR”. However, according to him, he “has too many white spots.” The problem is that “DPR” and “LPR” are literally included in the lists, but in practice they are not a legal entity or any private entity that cooperates with and has a contract with RIPE. They are not among the RIPE participants with whom the organization could terminate cooperation. Instead, it could be some kind of contingent legal entity from Moscow acting as the telecommunications organization “DPR”. This person is not on the sanctions lists. Of course, we know all of those who perform these functions, but the re-registration processes from Russia are so fast and the sanctions review and inclusion of new people on the lists so slow that it is very difficult. catch and promote restrictions in a timely manner. And because RIPE claims to be neutral, the organization works with everyone until it is ordered to cooperate with specific organizations or individuals. So when these newly created bodies find the restrictions and add them to the list, re-registration for another person is already taking place.

“When you see all this, you understand that this neutrality of RIPE is something very dangerous in general, very dangerous for Ukrainian society. Because first of all, Ukrainian society plays no role there. Everything, what was taken, was stolen from them. Secondly, all these “DNRs”, “LNRs” also begin to submit RIPE documents confirming the establishment of a passport of a legal entity or an individual – in the Crimea, in these illegal administrations, in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions where they established this administration. what does RIPE do?Impartiality.For RIPE, impartiality is unfortunately when it accepts from everyone and everything.So it accepts documents on the establishment of the legal entity “DPR” approved by the RIPE Charter and the charter approved by the “DPR Ministry of Justice” which includes an excerpt from the registry created in the DPR it does. RIPE records this and enters into a service provision agreement.

If the sanctions were more stringent, they could be resolved to include all the people involved so they would be treated in the same way with the same “DNR”. We need to talk about all the people associated with these illegal organizations. Unfortunately there is no such thing yet. Regarding these illegal documents: RIPE accepts them, registers new issues. These new assets, in most cases, are stolen resources, these are stolen legal entities, completely stolen equipment of Ukrainian providers, facilities of Ukrainian organizations that previously operated in this region.

Allowing RIPE to accept such documents indicates that RIPE has intentionally or unintentionally allowed these addresses to be re-registered and stolen. We are currently processing requests from Ukrainian providers. RIPE and I have created a communication channel where we send initial requests to re-register IP resources. We really hope that our offers, requests, requests from providers from the Ukrainian community will be accepted and interested in it.

It is not just a situation that is negative or unpleasant. This is a situation that has led to the direct use of the Internet for military purposes in Ukraine’s occupied territory today. They are stealing the internet from us and using it to recruit new soldiers, new people who will hate Ukraine and force them into war against Ukraine. This is really important”.