UPDATE 2: Russian Web sites’ muting to cost Ukraine $1 bln, take 2 yrs

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MOSCOW/KIEV, May 17 (PRIME) -- A complete blocking of Russian Web sites will take Ukraine about two years and will cost the country U.S. $1 billion, Chairman of the Ukrainian Internet association Alexander Fediyenko told the 112 Ukraine television channel late on Tuesday.

“We’ll most likely block not the Web sites, but the whole autonomous system, where these sites reside, and other platforms, which were not listed in the sanctions. The user will be ultimately deprived not only of access to such networks as VKontakte, but also to other platforms that were in the system,” Fediyenko said.

Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko endorsed on Tuesday an expanded list of companies and individuals to face the sanctions against Russia, comprising 468 firms and 1,228 people. The measure came in force on Wednesday.

The blacklist contains Russian Internet giants Yandex and Mail.Ru Group, along with social networks VKontakte and Odnoklassniki, as well as antivirus software makers Kaspersky Lab and Dr.Web, and a number of mass media companies.

The prohibition period for some companies was extended to three years from one year and for individuals it lasts one year, three years, five years, and indefinitely.

Fediyenko said that the Web blocking, however, can be skirted over.

Mail.Ru Group distributed instructions how to trick the blockade to Ukrainian users.

“It’s almost impossible to close access to an Internet site, while forcing a provider to ban access to users to a domain is realistic. With our recommendations at hand, you’ll have no problems in accessing not only the banned Web sites, but you’ll skirt many regional restrictions from the part of foreign Internet services,” the message sent out to Ukrainian users read.

Mail.Ru Group proposes to use proxy servers and anonymizers that change IP addresses, as well as the browser Tor that allows people to view blocked resources, among others.

Mobile operator Vodafone Ukraine said on its Web site that local mobile operators have started limiting access to Russian social networks and resources.

“Telecom operators Kyivstar, Lifecell, and Vodafone Ukraine inform that from today a Ukrainian president’s decree has come in force on the use of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions)…In compliance with the decree, telecom operators have initiated technical events to limit provision of access to the Web sites to the scale of technical capacities,” the operator said.

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