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| BBC uses shortwave broadcasting technology |
The BBC switched to Russian shortwave broadcasting after Russia blocked access to the BBC's website, reports The Guardian.
The BBC has announced that it will bring back World War II-era broadcasting technology to the region just hours before its website was banned. The Russian news agency (RIA) also reported the ban.
Broadcasting on short waves uses frequencies that travel long distances and are accessible on mobile devices.
The BBC said shortwave programs can be broadcast on certain frequencies at certain times.
The short story was read in English and the BBC said it was available in Kyiv and parts of Russia.
Shortwave transmission technology has a long history of use in wartime. The Guardian reported that its use peaked during the Cold War. It was also used to broadcast propaganda during World War II.
But the BBC World Service ended use of the technology in Europe in 2008 after 76 years.
In addition to blocking BBC News, the Russian communications organization Roskomnadzor has restricted access to Radio Liberty, which is funded by the US government.
It also restricted access to VOA public radio station Medusa (a Russian- and English-language news website based in Latvia) and German public radio station Deutsche Welle.
The BBC's Russian account recommends downloading the iOS and Android apps as an alternative to accessing online coverage.
In 2019, the company launched the Tor Onion domain, which aims to provide a more secure, high-performance, and censorship-resistant way to access its websites through the Tor Browser than the typical .com or .co.uk URLs.
The BBC previously reported that its Russian-speaking audience has grown significantly since the country's invasion of Ukraine.
Russia restricts access to the BBC's website
Direct visits to Russian language reports more than tripled last week (10.7 million visits compared to an average of 3.1 million).
Last week, Russia saw a 252 percent increase in the number of people accessing its English-language content. His cover was called Ukrainian.
The BBC chief executive said: "In a struggle riddled with disinformation and propaganda, there is a clear need for facts and reliable independent journalism. We continue to keep the Russian people as informed as possible.
The BBC has announced that it will suspend its journalists in Russia while it assesses the impact of the law. This came in response to a new law that threatens journalists with up to 15 years in prison for spreading false information.
The BBC's chief executive said: "The safety of our staff is a top priority. We are not prepared to prosecute them simply for their work. Russian intelligence services continue to operate outside Russia.
While the BBC's access is restricted within Russia, Russian state-backed media organizations are under attack from technology platforms and regulators abroad.