by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
MOSCOW (Worthy News) – Russia is expanding tests of a nationwide system designed to shut down internet access during times of unrest, leaving millions in Moscow temporarily cut off from mobile data and online services, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
In recent days, residents of the Russian capital—home to more than 13 million people—have struggled to perform routine tasks as mobile internet service was disrupted. Commuters exiting subway stations were unable to order taxis or access online maps, while remote workers crowded into cafés seeking stable Wi-Fi connections.
The Kremlin has defended the shutdowns as a security measure intended to prevent Ukrainian drones from using mobile networks for navigation. However, analysts say the outages appear to be part of a broader effort to test infrastructure that would allow the government to restrict information and communications during political crises.
Experts note that Moscow has been building systems similar to those used in Iran during protests, including a “whitelist” of government-approved websites that remain accessible during internet blackouts. State media outlets, official government portals, and domestic apps such as the government-controlled messaging platform Max are among the sites allowed to function.
The outages have disrupted businesses and daily life across several regions of Russia. Pharmacies have closed when medicine tracking systems went offline, online banking services have been interrupted, and families relying on medical monitoring devices have faced serious disruptions.
Business losses in Moscow alone reportedly reached about 5 billion rubles (roughly $63 million) over five days, according to Russian business newspaper Kommersant.
Russia’s parliament recently passed legislation requiring telecommunications companies to shut off mobile data when ordered by the Federal Security Service (FSB), signaling that such outages may become more common as the war in Ukraine continues.
Despite increasing restrictions, many Russians are turning to virtual private networks (VPNs) in an attempt to bypass censorship. Authorities have moved to ban the promotion of VPNs and remove them from app stores, but their use continues to grow.
Analysts say the gradual tightening of internet controls is creating what some have described as a “digital iron curtain,” slowly reshaping how Russians access information and communicate online.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire that was to begin Friday afternoon, Worthy News learned.
At least 10 people, including four children, were injured in a Russian strike on Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, Ukrainian authorities said Friday. In southern Ukraine, the State Emergency Service reported that one person was killed and four others were injured in a separate Russian attack on the Odesa region.
President Donald Trump signed the temporary peace deal with Iran ahead of schedule Wednesday at the Palace of Versailles in France, kicking off negotiations over a final nuclear deal.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s statement following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the United States is being viewed by analysts not as an embrace of peace, but as a carefully crafted declaration that preserves Tehran’s revolutionary posture while allowing the regime to regroup.
The United States imposed new sanctions Thursday on individuals and entities linked to Hezbollah, accusing them of using political and financial influence to obstruct Lebanon’s peace process and delay the Iran-backed group’s disarmament.
Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow since the war began, hitting a key oil refinery and other targets around the Russian capital, leaving at least one person dead and numerous others injured, Russian officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Southeast Asian leaders in Kazan this week as Moscow moved to deepen ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and promote its vision of a “multipolar world order” aimed at countering U.S. global dominance.