Russia is preparing nationwide regulations that would centralize the authority to shut down mobile internet access as outages due to Ukrainian drone attacks have become a regular occurrence across the country, the pro-Kremlin daily Izvestia reported Tuesday, citing government and telecom industry sources.
The Digital Development Ministry is reportedly in talks with telecommunications operators to streamline the shutdown procedure and designate a single state body responsible for managing mobile network blackouts.
Currently, a broad range of entities including regional authorities, emergency services and security agencies are authorized to request mobile internet shutdowns.
The result, one source told Izvestia, has been a surge in disorganized and often excessive disruptions, especially in response to the growing number of drone attacks across the country.
"Due to the current security environment and a rise in drone attacks, the number of entities authorized to issue such shutdown orders has grown significantly," the source told Izvestia.
In many cases, requests are funneled from regional officials to Moscow for legitimacy checks, delaying action and sometimes leading to internet blackouts in areas that do not require them while failing to restrict access in more critical zones.
Until recently, shutdown authority was primarily held by the security services and state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor and were typically reserved for major public events or counterterrorism operations.
But the past few months have seen a sharp uptick in regional orders, particularly since May, when Ukrainian drone attacks intensified and triggered widespread outages in several regions.
Russia experienced 655 mobile internet shutdowns in June alone, more than double the total number of shutdowns recorded worldwide during all of 2024, according to independent communications watchdog Na Svyazi.
The outages have disrupted a range of essential services, from emergency communications to online banking and transit operations.
The Russian-based Internet Protection Society estimates that a single day of nationwide mobile internet shutdowns could result in financial losses amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.
Karen Kazaryan, director of the Internet Research Institute, told Izvestia that streamlining the shutdown procedure could help protect users from unwarranted disruptions and reduce unnecessary work for operators. He added that appointing a single authority to issue such directives is a reasonable step.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
