DONETSK, July 16. /ITAR-TASS/. The republican committee for television and radio broadcasting has switched off Ukrainian TV channels in analogue and digital formats since Tuesday on instructions from the Council of Ministers of the Donetsk People’s Republic. Instead of them, Russian television broadcasts were restored, the press centre of the Donetsk People’s Republic reported. This decision is in effect on the whole territory of the Donetsk region.

“Russian television broadcasts will be restored soon. Meanwhile, such TV channels as Mult, Russky Roman, Rossiya 24, Nauka 2.0 and Zvezda will be added to the list for broadcasting,” the press centre said.

On Tuesday, the Ukrainian national council for television and radio broadcasting stated about 72 Ukrainian providers in Donetsk and Luhansk regions broadcasting Russian TV channels.

July 10, the Ukrainian domestic broadcasting council urged providers to stop airing pro-Russian programs within a day. Otherwise, “they will be switched off and will certainly bear responsibility,” member of the Ukrainian broadcasting council Olga Gerasimyuk stated.

The Ukrainian domestic council for television and radio broadcasting has earlier mulled a possible lawsuit with the demand to ban broadcasts of several Russian TV channels in Ukraine, including such Russian television broadcasters as TVC International, LifeNews, Russia Today and RenTV.