Moscow internet shutdowns test Russia’s expanding web controls

A woman looks at her smartphone on the subway in Moscow, Russia. (AP/File Photo)

• Moscow hit by major mobile internet outages over security fears
• Govt permits access to approved platforms during outages
• Businesses report losses of up to 5 billion rubles over five days

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Russia’s capital has been facing widespread mobile internet outages, as authorities appear to be testing further controls over the country’s web infrastructure.

Reports of disruptions in Moscow, a city of more than 13 million people, began early last week and intensified in the following days, according to data from outage-tracking service Sboy.rf.

While Muscovites have complained about unstable connections or a complete loss of service from the largest mobile operators and Wi-Fi disruptions in the city’s subway system, authorities haven’t fully explained the disruption.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state media Wednesday that restrictions on mobile communications in the capital will remain as long it’s necessary “to ensure citizens’ safety” due to Ukrainian attacks.

Regional authorities increasingly resorted to temporary mobile internet shutdowns in 2025 amid drone threats as the war in Ukraine dragged on. Some areas saw mobile data access cut off for weeks at a time. But significant disruptions in Moscow haven’t been seen since May, when the capital was repelling a massive drone attack ahead of the Victory Day military parade attended by global leaders including China’s Xi Jinping.

Mobile traffic accounts for roughly 50% to 70% of all internet use in Russia and businesses in the capital have suffered losses of as much as 5 billion rubles ($55 million) over five days, according to Kommersant. The current outages in Moscow have particularly affected courier services, ride-hailing apps, car-sharing operators and retailers, the newspaper said.

Still, Moscow residents reported that during the outage access to government-approved “whitelisted” platforms for essential services was still possible, which may indicate authorities are testing how the system would work during wider shutdowns.

The “whitelist” system isn’t unique to Russia. Iran has repeatedly restricted global internet access during periods of unrest and in the current war with Israel and the US, while keeping open selected domestic services such as banking and government portals through a state-controlled network.

President Vladimir Putin last year ordered the government to develop limits on software and communication services from countries that Russia considers as unfriendly. The government has since been pushing Russians to adopt a state-run “super-app” called Max, modeled after China’s WeChat, that critics say leaves users vulnerable to surveillance by Russia’s security services.