Recently, Russia has experienced a series of mobile-internet blackouts, disrupting routines in various regions of the country. These blackouts, once an occasional inconvenience, have now become part of the daily lives of residents in certain areas. Citizens are having to cope with outages that affect their daily lives, from simple tasks to essential activities. Some services have been blocked, and connections are more unstable, leading many Russians to report a feeling of insecurity. In this context, the country is experiencing one of the most tense periods of digital control in its history.
Mobile-internet: Routine affected by blackouts
This scenario of mobile internet blackouts in Russia began in May and extended throughout the summer and autumn, reaching a large scale by affecting dozens of regions simultaneously. Some groups monitor this issue and, according to them, daily interruptions were recorded in approximately 57 regions in November, making this phenomenon widespread and constant. Authorities claim this measure serves to prevent attacks by Ukrainian drones, which use mobile networks for navigation. Residents say the daily impact of this measure is becoming difficult to ignore.
One of the complaints from the population is that these outages have affected basic activities, such as using cards to pay for public transport, accessing ATMs, or even receiving messages on their cell phones. Another case, which may be worrying, is that families with diabetic children have reported losing access to essential apps for monitoring glucose levels remotely. The feeling among the population is that essential services are becoming unpredictable.
While Wi-Fi internet connections continue to function, Russians describe everyday tasks as fragmented. This is because there’s no guarantee that mobile phones will have access to even the simplest services over the mobile network. Some residents report that apps work one day and are down the next. And the biggest problem with this scenario is that nobody knows how long they will be down.
“White Lists” and the new way to navigate in Russia
During the blackouts that occur in Russia, only websites and services previously approved by the government remain accessible. This list is called a “white list” and varies depending on the internet provider. Generally, this list includes official websites, emails, local social media platforms, digital marketplaces, and some search services from Yandex. There have been cases where only one banking app works; in others, not even this type of app remains available.
For the Russian population, the expectation of an even more controlled digital future became evident, especially upon realizing that almost nothing outside this list could be accessed. Residents of cities like Vladivostok reported a feeling of anxiety and fear at the possibility of completely losing access to information sources that are independent of the government. These changes are already being seen as a harbinger of an increasingly monitored internet.
SIM card restrictions and unexpected impact
Another measure that surprised the population was the temporary blocking of SIM cards, which were inactive for up to 72 hours. During the first 24-hour period, these chips did not receive data or messages. Unlocking was sent via SMS, but some devices, such as cars, portable routers, and energy meters, which do not have an interface to receive messages, became non-functional — an unexpected side effect.
What can we expect from mobile internet blackouts in Russia, and what will their impacts be?
These mobile internet blackouts reveal that Russia is transitioning to an even more restricted and controlled system. With each new measure, the feeling of surveillance and digital instability among the population increases.
Russians are trying to adapt, but all these limitations affect simple daily tasks and even essential healthcare. While authorities defend the restrictions, citizens express fear in the face of the profound and uncertain changes in the country.
