Russian citizens have not been complaining about 12 years of genocide against Ukrainians. Instead, discontent is now growing over disruptions to mobile internet in major cities, CNN reports.
Residents of Moscow and Saint Petersburg are reporting that outages are paralyzing taxi services, food deliveries, and medical monitoring.
“White lists” still remain
The Kremlin justifies the restrictions as security measures against Ukrainian attacks, but this resembles a digital “iron curtain".
Because of the mobile internet blackout, many workers who depend on connectivity, such as taxi drivers and couriers, have to rely on radios, pagers, and paper maps. But the hardest hit are patients who need constant medical monitoring.
For instance, Svitlana from the Moscow Oblast uses the internet to manage her son’s diabetes. Without network access, the child is left without insulin dosing instructions, creating a critical situation.
At the same time, the authorities have implemented so-called “white lists” of websites that remain accessible during mobile internet shutdowns, but frequent disruptions continue.
Rumors are already circulating that similar lists will apply to home internet, effectively closing the “digital curtain.”
Politics through cables: internet shutdowns as method of fear
The Institute for the Study of War suggests the Kremlin is preparing to suppress potential protests. Authorities aim to block coordination among people in the event of unpopular decisions, including a new wave of mobilization.
Mikhail Klimaryov, head of the Internet Protection Society, believes Russia is testing a model of localized shutdowns. According to him, instead of a one-time nationwide shutdown, the government opts for targeted, repeated outages.
This keeps the population on edge and restricts information flow in critical areas.
Klimaryov predicts that if the authorities feel a real threat to the regime, they will shut down the internet completely, as has been done in Iran.
Max and Telegram: monitoring every citizen’s move
Currently, Russian authorities are actively promoting the state app Max as the main portal for communication and payments.
This app gives the government full control over individuals, with access to all personal data.
Meanwhile, Roskomnadzor is increasing pressure on Telegram, opening a criminal case for “aiding terrorism.”
Many Russian military personnel use this app, sometimes intentionally and sometimes inadvertently leaking sensitive information online.
