Russia restricts mobile phone top-ups for Ukrainians in occupation without Russian passports
Photo: Russia will tighten control over mobile number owners (Getty Images)
Ukrainians in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine will no longer be able to top up their mobile accounts without a Russian passport. The Russians are implementing this ban as part of a forced passportization campaign, reports the National Resistance Center of Ukraine (NRC).
From now on, if a resident wants to top up their mobile balance with cash, they must present a passport or log in via the state services portal. This measure is aimed at allowing the Russian forces to track the real owners of phone numbers.
“It is also an element of forced passportisation. After all, in order to top up an account and further communicate, a Ukrainian must now have a Russian citizen’s certificate or passport. Also, the Kremlin’s repressive apparatus will be more effective in tracking the owners of the numbers,” the NRC said.
Notably, in addition to losing the ability to top up their accounts, Ukrainians under occupation have lost other rights as well. For instance, starting January 1, individuals without a Russian passport will no longer be able to obtain medications. They will now have to purchase them, often at inflated prices, and finding the drugs has become difficult.
Moreover, on January 5, Russia established a registry of controlled persons, which includes Ukrainians who have not received Russian passports. If a person is included in this registry, they will either be required to leave the territory or provide a legal basis to remain there.
