KYIV – As the clock struck midnight on February 3, three television channels known for their pro-Russian bias and spreading disinformation, ceased broadcasting. What appeared on TV screens were the rainbow-colored stripes of the tuning signal.

It was the outcome of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s presidential order from the previous day that approved a National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) decision to close the TV stations as part of a larger package of sanctions.