Regional shutdown
Mobile Internet
The Unified State System for Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations (RSES) sent an SMS notification to Russian mobile users on 5 May, warning of mobile Internet restrictions from 5 to 9 May to "ensure security in connection with the preparation and celebration of the Victory Day parade” in Moscow.
- Total Duration 3 days, 19 hours
Russia
- Population
- 143,826,130
Freedom House rates Internet freedom as Not Free
Local impact
Multiple reports have been made of mobile Internet access being restricted and of the complete absence of cellular networks throughout Russia.
Governments often mistakenly believe that Internet shutdowns will quell unrest, stop the spread of misinformation, or reduce harm from cybersecurity threats. But shutdowns are extremely disruptive to economic activity: they halt e-commerce, generate losses in time-sensitive transactions, increase unemployment, interrupt business-customer communications, and create financial and reputational risks for companies. They also hurt a country’s growth as research shows Internet adoption positively impacts Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Some reports indicate that mobile ,Internet access has been slowly resuming since 9 May.
Related documentation
On 7 May, the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, admitted that the Russian authorities were limiting access to mobile Internet until 10 May. The State Duma deputy also confirmed the mobile restrictions, describing them as “an element of preventive defense” against drones during the celebrations.
Other supporting information
We have not observed any significant changes in Internet connectivity via Cloudflare Radar, Google Transparency Report or IODA measurement systems.
It’s difficult to measure the effect of local/regional Internet shutdowns, as most measurements are done at a country level. Learn more