Widespread Mobile and Internet Outages in Moscow
Since March 6, Moscow has been experiencing severe disruptions to mobile and internet services. Residents have repeatedly reported network access problems, and from March 7, many resources included in the so-called 'whitelist' became completely inaccessible. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attributed these restrictions to security concerns, stating that
"all disconnections and communication restrictions are carried out in strict accordance with current legislation". These outages are part of a broader pattern of digital control in Russia, often justified by the authorities as necessary for national security.
Financial Losses and the Expansion of 'Whitelists'
The Russian Ministry of Digital Development announced the implementation of 'whitelists' for websites meant to guarantee access to specific resources. As of March 5-6, this list included sites such as:
- Gosuslugi (state services portal)
- VKontakte (social network)
- Russian Railways website
- Airline ticket booking resources
However, by March 7, even these sites became unreachable. Users note that communication is only possible in the metro, where messages in messengers can sometimes be received. Dmitry, an office worker, observed:
"You go down into the metro and inside the trains you can 'catch' a messenger message. On the platforms—nothing, it's blocked".
Deputy Head of the State Duma Committee, Andrei Svintsov, reported that the 'whitelists' are planned to be expanded within the next 2-3 weeks. Services that may be included in the expanded lists are:
- Banking applications
- Online marketplaces
- Email services
He also noted that within 3-6 months, Roskomnadzor (the media regulator) will gain the capability to completely restrict VPN traffic.
The connectivity issues have coincided with major financial losses for businesses. Expert estimates suggest that just five days of internet blackouts have cost businesses between 3 and 5 billion rubles. Sectors impacted by the shutdowns include courier services, taxis, car-sharing, and retail enterprises.
Vladimir Putin explained the reason for disabling mobile internet in some regions as a necessary measure for protection against drones. Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the restrictions will last 'as long as necessary'. Demand for alternative communication methods has surged: in Moscow, demand for consumer radios has increased by 27%, for pagers by 73%, and for landline telephones by 25%.
The situation with internet and mobile service disruptions in Moscow highlights growing tensions within the country, where security and control over information flows are becoming a priority for the authorities. Simultaneously, the severe financial losses for business underscore the significant economic impact of such measures. The planned expansion of 'whitelists' may be an attempt to mitigate negative consequences for enterprises, yet the looming threat of VPN restrictions continues to cause concern among users and business owners.