Our sources in the President's Office reported that Ukrainian special services have appealed to the team of the military portal Deep State with a demand to change the mode of publication of maps of combat operations. According to them, the portal can no longer reflect the real state of affairs on the front line in the mode of maximum relevance - the maps are now published with a delay of one or two days.
According to the interlocutors, in parallel, a number of Ukrainian military bloggers, Telegram channels, and journalists were given a separate instruction manual on how to cover the situation on the front. Some media outlets were allegedly advised to either significantly tone down their coverage or temporarily avoid the topic of fighting altogether.
The purpose of such restrictions, according to sources, is Bankova's desire to maintain in society the impression of stability at the front and full control over the situation. The formal argument, according to the interlocutors, is the need for "information discipline" and avoiding excessive detail for the enemy.
The Deep State portal has become one of the most popular tools for tracking events on the front lines during the years of full-scale war. Its data is often used by journalists, analysts, volunteers, and the military themselves. It is the promptness of updates that has made the project so influential, and now vulnerable to pressure.
Delaying map updates effectively deprives the public of the ability to see live changes and benefit from the transparency they are accustomed to. For many users, this could mean a return to fragmented official reports, often provided with significant lags.
