Overview
- Independent outlet The Bell, citing IT industry sources, reported that the Kremlin ordered Moscow’s shutdown and that the FSB passed ISPs maps of areas to disconnect as service now begins to stabilize after roughly three weeks.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the restrictions address security needs, including the risk that Ukrainian drones could use cellular networks and that noncompliant foreign tech firms pose legal challenges.
- Authorities tested a whitelist that let users reach only approved sites such as state portals and pro-government social media, which shows the capability to keep selective parts of the web online while cutting the rest.
- Outages have also been reported in St. Petersburg, and Russia has tightened controls since 2025 by blocking many VPNs and limiting calls on messaging apps, with officials moving toward a wider Telegram ban that some reports say could take effect as early as April.
- Analysts say the effort builds tools to watch user activity and shut access fast, while some Western coverage ties the clampdown to fears stoked by reports of Israeli hacks of Iran’s CCTV network, a link that remains less substantiated than the FSB-led execution detailed by Russian sources.