Russian President Addresses Internet Disruption Confusion for First Time

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday addressed the escalating wave of mobile internet blackouts sweeping Russia, defending the disruptions as a vital defense against “terrorist attacks” and dismissing calls for advance public notice as a threat to national security.

Speaking at a meeting of cabinet members, Putin stated that criminals “hear everything and see everything,” and that if information reaches them, they will adjust their behavior and plans accordingly. He emphasized that safety and security remain the top priority in his view.

The comments mark the first time Putin has personally waded into the confusion caused by the internet disruptions, which some critics have described as a kind of “digital iron curtain.” While online restrictions have become common since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, outages have intensified in recent months, with monitoring groups reporting that most regions throughout the country now face daily internet disruptions.

The Kremlin has previously defended the restrictions, including those targeting specific platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp, as legal and necessary for ensuring security. On Thursday, Putin urged law enforcement agencies to “demonstrate the necessary ingenuity in their work, high professionalism and to take into account the citizens’ vital interests.”

He ordered Russia’s Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev to work more closely with the security services to ensure the uninterrupted operation of a so-called “white list” of online services. This registry includes the government-backed messenger Max, state news agencies, and major banks, and is designed to remain functional while the rest of the web goes dark.

Putin did not comment on the recent push to curb the use of virtual private networks (VPNs), which have become a key tool for bypassing internet restrictions. The Associated Press reported that widespread cellphone internet shutdowns began in May 2025 and persisted through summer and into the fall, affecting dozens of Russian regions.

In November 2025, an average of 57 Russian regions reported daily disruptions to cellphone links, according to Na Svyazi, an activist group monitoring shutdowns. Authorities say these outages are designed to prevent Ukrainian drones from tapping mobile networks for navigation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the outages are “absolutely justified and necessary.” However, Kateryna Stepanenko of the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said they have not been effective in curbing the intensity of Ukraine’s drone attacks, given the number of strikes seen in recent months on Russian oil refineries.

The impact on daily life has been profound: credit cards fail for public transport, ATMs disconnect, and messaging apps are down. Mobile phones often lose texts and data after international travel, and mothers of diabetic children have reported being unable to monitor blood glucose levels during outages.

Although broadband and Wi-Fi internet access remain unaffected, Russians described digital disruptions to their daily lives in interviews with The Associated Press, speaking anonymously for safety.