Unlike Iran’s internet shutdowns earlier this year, Russia’s shutdown is a piecemeal and opaque effort. This is because, compared with Iran, Russia’s internet infrastructure is more decentralised, making widespread censorship harder to implement. “I’m switching to pigeon post,” said a Russian internet user in a video broadcast by a Belarusian TV station. Initially, authorities justified mobile internet outages – which often were confined to outlying regions – by saying these were to protect against Ukrainian drones. Amnezia analysts say earlier mobile internet blackouts were a test and that censors implemented them cautiously, trying to minimise harm to businesses.

Source: The Guardian March 31, 2026 16:20 UTC