Military personnel of the Russian Armed Forces criticized the ban on the use of smartphones in the zone of the special military operation, for which the State Duma voted on July 24. According to the initiative, soldiers will be subject to disciplinary arrest for using gadgets while on duty. The ban will come into force if approved by the Federation Council and signed by the president. Russian military men believe that the new regulation, if adopted, will significantly complicate the situation at the front for the Russian troops.
Military men use smartphones instead of paper maps of the area where they conduct military operations. Paper maps do not reflect the current situation on areas, and soldiers have to use UAVs and hold conference calls to discuss everything in real time. This can only be possible owing to access to the Internet, soldiers say. Military men use the services of local providers, as well as captured Starlink network stations.
Access to the Internet is extremely important in combat operations as it gives soldiers an opportunity to see what is happening tens of kilometers away in real time. Modern gadgets have become an integral part of modern equipment as they provide connection and communication in the first place.
Many military men believe that no one is going to follow the new law. Moreover, the Russian troops have been able to achieve great progress on the battlefield during the recent 6 months owing to the use of the Internet.
The ban on the use of smartphones in the zone of the special military operation does not make any sense because the current order of the Russian Ministry of Defense already prohibits the use of smartphones in the army, officer Markov who serves in the Donetsk direction of hostilities said.
Gadgets are needed to ensure there are fewer losses in the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces. Smartphones make it possible to plan operations, manage battles and establish interaction between units, and they can do it much better than outdated standard technical equipment can.
On July 23, it became known that the State Duma Committee on Defense supported amendments providing for disciplinary arrest for participants of the special military operation if they disseminate information that makes it possible to determine identities of military personnel and their location.