Borders of the LPR and DPR on maps: what risks can Yandex and 2GIS Russia have

recognized the independence of the DPR and LPR within the borders of the regions. There are no legal risks for mapping services, such as Yandex.Maps, when specifying new disputed territories,

Russian and foreign legislation does not yet provide for legal liability for the designation of disputed territories in cartographic services, but their owners may face the threat of sanctions. This version was voiced by experts interviewed by RBC, answering the question of what risks the owner companies may face as part of the recognition by the Russian authorities of the independent Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR).

What happened to the republics and what will happen to their borders

On Tuesday, February 22, the Federation Council unanimously voted to ratify the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance with the DPR and LPR, whose independence Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the day before. Russia recognized the LPR and DPR within the borders of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, Putin said. All controversial issues - how exactly the borders will be determined - according to the Russian president, will have to be resolved during negotiations between the Kyiv authorities and the leadership of the republics.

What risks do the experts warn about?

According to Mergen Doraev, a partner at the EMPP Law Office, risks, for example, for Yandex (which develops the Yandex.Maps service) may arise if “in some jurisdictions they adopt legislation on liability for denying Ukraine’s sovereignty over these territories.” In another scenario, if Yandex decides to designate these territories as independent states, the company may experience pressure from consumers of its Yandex.Maps service. “For example, Google faced such a problem after the annexation of Crimea. Technically, the solution is to display different borders on maps depending on the territory from which the user enters a request or downloads applications,” Doraev suggests.

Putin approved the ratification of cooperation agreements with the DPR and LPR Politics