Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has instructed the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection (State Special Communications) to consider the possibility of returning the channels Espresso, Channel 5 and Pryamiy to the digital terrestrial broadcasts.

Shmyhal reminded that the National Security and Defense Council on March 18 made a decision on a unified information policy, approving a 24-hour marathon United News UARazom. This solution is implemented by the Concern of Radio Broadcasting, Radio Communication and Television.

"In view of the public interest in the issues raised in the petition, the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection, together with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, is instructed to further process them and inform you of the results," reads the response to a petition by the channels.

On April 4, Espresso, Pryamiy and Channel 5 stated in an open letter that the Concern of Radio Broadcasting, Radio Communications and Television turned off their broadcasts. Journalists of the channels said that the decision was made by the Office of the President. They consider it illegal, because "there is no document that would give the RRT concern reason to disconnect TV channels from broadcasting at night." The National Broadcasting Council did not publish any decisions at that time.

The State Service of Special Communications explained that it turned off the digital airwaves of the Espresso, Pryamiy and Channel 5 channels in compliance with the decision of the National Security Council.

The Presidentʼs Office announced that these TV channels, which belong to Petro Poroshenkoʼs pool, were turned off due to the "narcissism" of the fifth president of Ukraine.