Anastasiya Zhyrmont

TRANSCRIPT:

I’m coming [from] and I’m working in the region where there is a constant crackdown on any decent voices. And what we have monitored, especially in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, is the attack and censorship against independent journalism and independent media.

They are facing constant website blocking, DDoS attacks and other cybersecurity threats. Many of them ended up in exile. And this is why it is extremely important for independent international voices to reach out [to] audiences inside restrictive environments, like Russia, certain Central Asian countries and others, including the Voice of America.

A clear sign of solidarity with digital autocrats, and with censorship, is shutting down any media, especially the media of extreme importance to the region. Sharing independent news and views can help to combat propaganda, censorship and to not keeping a certain population in silo.

We have seen how things have degraded since the start of the full-scale invasion [in Ukraine]. Russian propaganda is infiltrated not only within the Russian borders or in the occupied territories, but it spreads like a virus all across the region, including in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, in Belarus. And it’s very difficult to actually combat such narratives. And such narratives are becoming not only an informational tool, but like a weapon, military strategy. This is why it is very important to come up with resilience and resilient solutions. And I suppose independent information, including from the Voice of America, is one of these resilience tools.

Published June 29, 2026

Zhyrmont is the Eastern Europe and Central Asia policy manager for Access Now. Headquartered in New York City, the international nonprofit group defends the digital rights of people around the world. Access Now's work includes advocating for freedom of expression, fighting internet shutdowns and government surveillance, and protecting digital spaces for civil society to flourish.