Handbook

During the war, due to the tense security situation in the country, Ukrainians began to exchange more information in group chats of messengers and social media. It’s necessary to be in touch with neighbors in today’s realities. It’s a matter of safety, awareness and supporting each other. However, it’s important to do it correctly – so as not to harm yourself and others. Here are tips on how to make the chat of your house safe and useful at the same time:

• Be considerate of new chat members. Don’t accuse them of collaborating with the enemy on the slightest suspicion. Most often, new members of the house chat are just new residents. Before you start looking for spies among them, analyze the reasons for your suspicions. Often such doubts can be triggered by the stress of bad news.

• Don’t share data about military facilities and critical infrastructure. Sometimes chats with a large number of participants can be used by the enemy to conduct intelligence and destructive propaganda through individual members of the chats. Fair suspicion is caused by chat participants who try to collect information about:
  • warehouses, repair bases and fleets;
  • engineering-equipped positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and places of residences of personnel;
  • hospitals;
  • important infrastructure facilities – thermal power plants, oil depots, hydraulic structures, etc.;
  • routes of movement of our military personnel, weapons and ammunition.

To prevent sensitive information from falling into the hands of the enemy, don’t publish or distribute such data in messengers groups. If you’re the administrator of the chat, set the appropriate rules and warn the participants about the importance of following them. 

• Don’t share information about the locations of enemy missiles and drones hits in chats. Such information can be used by the enemy to adjust the accuracy of strikes and identify gaps in the air defense system. In the conditions of martial law, the publication of photographs locating the territory and/or real estate is subject to criminal liability. Don’t share in public chats any information about hits, shelling and destruction before it appears in official sources.

However, remain prudent. Strange or unknown sounds heard by one of the neighbors is an acceptable topic for discussion. After all, home chats exist to solve everyday problems, and such questions can be related to emergency situations in the house.

• Demand the chat administrator to delete messages of value to the enemy. Among them are those that may contain:

• • geotags and other metadata of sent files – photo or video;
  • recognizable elements of the area that can be identified on the map – characteristic buildings, landscape, road signs, outdoor advertising, etc.;
  • serial numbers on debris of enemy ammunition;
  • license plates of military equipment, markings on it;
  • real names/surnames of military personnel, their faces.

• Don’t spread information about the liberation of settlements from occupation, unless it’s confirmed by official sources. 

Deoccupation isn’t a one moment and irreversible act, but a complex and sometimes long process, the end of which can only be determined by the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Early spreading of release notices may create unwarranted expectations and put local residents at risk. For example, if they try to return to their apartments due to unverified data. Therefore, distribute information about the liberation of territories or a counterattack only after its official confirmation.

In addition, drawing media attention to a newly liberated settlement can encourage the enemy to make efforts to regain positions.

• Don’t allow yourself to be provoked into emotions, enmity and “betrayal”. 

Disputes in group chats contribute to fueling enmity between Ukrainians. There have been documented cases of emotionally charged calls for wrongdoing being circulated through communities. For example, for the closure of auto and tramways with requirements to turn on the lights. Such propaganda can weaken defense capabilities, so don’t support its spread. Manipulators play on excessive emotions and a sense of injustice. “There is no light in our house, but there is in another” or “there is no electricity in our region, because it’s sent to another region/sold abroad” – vivid examples of such incitement. To avoid emotional influence, always verify information with the help of independent sources – official channels of state institutions, local authorities, in official media. Also take care of establishing and following the rules of the chat: define moderators, unacceptable topics and vocabulary when communicating. Following these rules will allow you to share ideas, thoughts, and information safely and freely in your group chat.

The instruction was developed by the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security under the Ministry of Culture and Information together with Rakuten Viber. Media experts – the author of the “NotaYenota” project Alyona Romanyuk and the head of the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine Serhii Shturkhetskyi joined the development of the recommendations. 

There may be no mobile communication in an emergency. If it is, but it’s weak, you can use lightweight versions of many applications (Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite, Google Go, Google Maps Go). As a result, they take up less space and run faster, even with poor Internet access.

You should also install the maps app on your smartphone, which does not need the network. For example, mapy.cz, or enable the appropriate feature on Google Maps. Note that applications do not automatically download the necessary maps – you must do so in advance.

Consider purchasing an additional spare push-button phone. It can work longer than a smartphone if you use it only for conversations.

In the absence of mobile communication, a walkie-talkie can replace the phone. For example, when you need to move to a safe place, these devices will help a family communicate with each other.

Modern walkie-talkies are easy to use and have a built-in FM receiver. However, we recommend that you prepare a spare battery.

Do not turn on the walkie-talkie on the police or other services frequencies: this will interfere with their work.

First of all, focus on the primary sources of government agencies. Follow the information from the SES, the army, and the government on the pages of their websites or social networks and the messages of the Public Broadcasting.

The Center of Strategic Communications published a list of Telegram channels that position themselves as independent information channels whose work is actually coordinated by the Kremlin. Among them are “Resident,” “Legitimny,” “Cartel,” “Spletnitsa,” and others. Full list:

Below you will find a list of verified sources. Please note that verified (officially confirmed) accounts on social networks have a special mark next to the name – a blue tick. In this way, the social network ensures that this person or institution maintains this page. Not all official institutions in Ukraine have received it yet, so consider the accounts from the list.

Public Broadcasting:

• TV Channel UA: Pershiy (Public Broadcasting)
• Radio Promin
• Ukrainian Radio

Websites of public services:

• State Service of Ukraine for Emergencies
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • telegram
• Armed Forces of Ukraine
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
• Ministry of Defence Ukraine
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
• Ministry of Internal Affairs
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram

• Why do I see this information?
• What source disseminated this information (social media page, media or suspicious site)?
• Who is the author of the message (official, journalist or anonymous reporter)?

• Availability of links to sources of information.
• Presentation of facts, assessments and comments, generalizations.
• Photos or videos used to verify information.
• Commentators, experts involved.

• Open Google Chrome. Right-click on the photo you want to check and select “search for images on Google”.
• If you have a different browser, open Google there. Go to the “image search” section. Copy the link to the image and paste it into the search bar.

• Publication dates: same or different?
• Place of publication: who published this photo? Can this source be trusted?
• Does the title and content of the article correspond to the photo?
• Are there any differences between the original photo you found and the photo you wanted to check? For example, a photo is cropped, elements are added or changed.
• In which country was the photo taken? Which country is mentioned in the link?

• Disable automatic network selection (on Android: Settings – Mobile network (or Connection) – Operator, on iOS: Settings – Cellular data – Network selection)
• Find and select an available network: Vodafone UA, UA-KYIVSTAR or LIFECELL
• If registration fails, try again or choose another
• Check the possibility of an outgoing call, SMS