Mobile internet outages have become increasingly routine across dozens of Russia’s regions in recent weeks as authorities respond to Ukrainian drone attacks with temporary shutdowns.
On Tuesday, at least 30 regions faced disruptions linked to efforts at combating incoming drones, according to the regional news outlet 7x7, which published a map showing large clusters of outages in Russia’s southwest, northwest and Siberian regions.
The shutdowns are beginning to have an impact on daily life, with stores unable to process card payments, ATMs going offline and taxi services reverting to phone-based dispatch rather than through online applications.
In the southern Saratov region, Governor Roman Busargin said Thursday that mobile internet access was being restricted “to maintain security.” Authorities say shutting down mobile internet helps prevent Ukrainian drones from being guided or receiving targeting coordinates via civilian networks.
On Wednesday, the tech monitoring project Na Svyazi reported mobile internet disruptions across 35 regions, an apparent record.
The growing wave of outages began in early May as authorities ramped up security ahead of Victory Day, Russia’s May 9 holiday commemorating the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
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