Russia escalated its digital restrictions to an unprecedented level in July, shutting down mobile internet services more than 2,000 times, a record monthly high. According to the Russian Internet Protection Society, authorities have consistently justified these blackouts by citing “national security” concerns in the face of Ukrainian drone attacks. However, digital rights watchdogs contend that many of these disruptions appear to be a pretext, occurring in areas with no discernible threat and serving as a tool for broader information control.
The societal and economic consequences of these shutdowns have been severe. The internet watchdog estimated economic losses in July alone at nearly 26 billion rubles ($290 million), as essential services were crippled. Customers of banks, taxi services, and online retailers struggled to access platforms, while in some rural areas, residents were forced to travel to other towns simply to use an ATM or access navigation. In response to the growing unreliability of mobile data, Russian citizens’ purchases of Wi-Fi routers doubled in June and July as they sought more stable connections.
While the shutdowns intensified following Ukraine’s “Operation Spiderweb” drone campaign, analysts are skeptical of the official justification. Digital rights groups like Access Now suggest authorities are exploiting drone attacks as an excuse to limit citizens’ access to information and their right to free expression. This skepticism is fueled by incidents like the six-day internet blackout in the Krasnoyarsk region, which had no declared drone threat, and the fact that mobile internet is not strictly required to operate drones, suggesting local officials may be performatively demonstrating security measures for the Kremlin.
These internet blackouts are not an isolated policy but rather a component of a much broader digital crackdown that has been underway since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russian authorities have blocked thousands of websites, throttled services like YouTube, removed VPNs from app stores, and banned major platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Foreign tech companies have also been targeted, with web security firm Cloudflare’s traffic being limited and the internet speed-testing tool Speedtest.net being blocked entirely.
Looking ahead, the Kremlin appears poised to tighten its grip further by targeting WhatsApp, one of the last major platforms for uncensored communication. Analysts warn it could be replaced by a state-controlled alternative called “Max,” which would be pre-installed on new devices. Compounding these state-imposed restrictions, Russian telecom providers themselves are increasingly becoming victims of cyberattacks, creating another layer of internet instability for a population struggling to stay connected.
Reference:
