Russia’s Spreading Mobile Internet Blackouts

• Russia faces widespread mobile internet disruptions across dozens of regions, impacting daily life.
• Officials attribute these outages to counter Ukrainian drone attacks, a measure that began with targeted restrictions and has now expanded nationwide.
• Critics warn of increasing digital authoritarianism and its far-reaching societal consequences.

Pavel Osipyan, a blogger in Rostov-on-Don, recently released a catchy tune humorously depicting his city’s poor mobile internet service. His song, which garnered over half a million Instagram views in just two weeks, highlights a growing problem across Russia. Osipyan’s daily struggles—from failed electronic payments to navigating with paper maps—mirror the experiences of many Russians facing unpredictable connectivity issues.

These frustrating disruptions are not isolated incidents; rather, they are a deliberate strategy. In the past two months, mobile internet shutdowns, sometimes accompanied by Wi-Fi outages, have affected dozens of Russian regions. These regions range from those bordering Ukraine to remote areas in Siberia and even the Far East. Officials claim these measures are essential for countering Ukrainian drone attacks, which have become more frequent and widespread.

The Escalating Digital Clampdown

The trend of widespread internet restrictions started in May when Moscow experienced severe mobile connectivity disruptions during Victory Day celebrations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed these were intentional due to ongoing Ukrainian drone threats, stating such measures would persist “as needed.” While Russia has historically implemented localized shutdowns during protests or in border regions, the capital’s outages signaled a new, pervasive approach to digital control.

Sarkis Darbinyan, founder of Russian internet freedom group Roskomsvoboda, noted that the disruptions in Moscow emboldened authorities nationwide. He suggested that Ukraine’s “Operation Spiderweb” in early June, which involved drone attacks deep within Russia, intensified officials’ eagerness to act. Darbinyan emphasized that the government fears drones could now appear anywhere, leading to a more aggressive stance on internet control.

Unpredictable Outages and Daily Life Impacts

By mid-July, deliberate internet shutdowns had spread to most of Russia, according to Na Svyazi, an activist group monitoring internet availability. As of Thursday, the group reported that 61 out of Russia’s more than 80 regions experienced mobile internet shutdowns, with 42 regions also reporting broadband network outages. This widespread disruption coincides with reports from the Russian military, which claimed to have downed numerous Ukrainian drones over various regions. Some regional officials, like Nizhny Novgorod Governor Gleb Nikitin, have confirmed these security measures, stating they will remain “as long as the threat remains.”

The impact on ordinary citizens is substantial and often unpredictable. Residents describe outages lasting hours or even days, with service working erratically within cities. In Voronezh, a resident felt like she was in “a cave” due to a complete lack of internet. Pharmacies in rural areas, which rely on internet connections for logging prescriptions, have also faced significant challenges. Despite the widespread inconvenience, some, like Grigori Khromov of Nizhny Novgorod, remain relatively unaffected due to alternative internet access at work or home.

Russia’s Broader Internet Control Efforts

These internet shutdowns are not merely a response to drone threats; they are part of the Kremlin’s long-standing ambition to control online information. In the last decade, Russian authorities have actively censored content, blocking thousands of websites belonging to independent media, opposition groups, and human rights organizations. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, major social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram were blocked. Access to YouTube, a highly popular platform in Russia, has also seen disruptions, which experts attribute to deliberate throttling by authorities.

Furthermore, state internet watchdogs routinely block VPN services, which circumvent restrictions, and there are plans to introduce a national messenger app to replace foreign alternatives. Kateryna Stepanenko, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, views these measures as a broader campaign to establish the same level of internet control seen in China—a goal the Kremlin has pursued for two decades. Anastasiya Zhyrmont of Access Now finds it “very disturbing” that Russians are increasingly normalizing these growing internet restrictions, emphasizing that such conditions “shouldn’t be modern reality.”

Contextual Information and Previous Developments

The current widespread internet disruptions in Russia represent a significant escalation in the country’s efforts to control online communications. This trend aligns with the “sovereign internet” law passed in 2019, which aimed to create an independent Russian internet infrastructure, ostensibly for national security. Critics at the time warned that this law could lead to increased censorship and isolation from the global internet, a prediction now seemingly coming to fruition with these widespread shutdowns.

In 2022, following the invasion of Ukraine, Russia also intensified its efforts to block VPNs and accelerate its plans for a domestic app store, further demonstrating its desire to limit citizens’ access to global information. The current mobile internet blackouts, explicitly justified by drone threats, provide a new pretext for measures that align perfectly with the Kremlin’s long-term digital authoritarian goals.