n occupied Crimea, Russian officials search students’ phones for banned apps and Ukrainian settings

This was reported on Telegram by the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, according to Ukrinform.

“Activists from Ukrainian movements in the temporarily occupied territories report that in Crimean schools, representatives of the occupation administration, together with Russian military personnel, are checking children’s mobile phones — looking for banned applications, VPN services, and even the Ukrainian language in the settings,” the statement said.

It is noted that if a Ukrainian keyboard layout is found on the phone, the child and their parents may be summoned “for a conversation” or subjected to additional checks.

“Such ‘raids’ are yet another tool of total control and ideological pressure. The occupiers seek to eradicate any manifestations of Ukrainian identity. The inspection of schoolchildren’s phones is not about ‘security,’ but a systematic attempt to intimidate children and impose loyalty to the Russian regime,” the Center added.

Earlier, Ukrinform reported that Ukrainian schoolchildren in the occupied territories are being punished for any expressions of national identity.