- Category
- Latest news
Moscow Metro to Inspect Passengers’ Phones During Security Screenings
- Authors
![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Moscow’s metro will begin checking passengers’ mobile phones during security screenings, following similar measures introduced earlier in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, according to The Moscow Times on February 2.
The checks are based on an order issued by the Russian Ministry of Transport on February 4, 2025. The document states that mobile phones—along with radio and television equipment, photo and video devices, personal computers, and other audio-visual electronics—are subject to inspection “by switching them on and checking their functionality.”
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
According to the outlet, metro officials said the phone checks will be introduced in addition to existing security measures, including screening through metal detector frames.
Mandatory functionality checks for electronic devices were introduced in the St. Petersburg metro in August 2025.
Passengers there are asked to turn on their gadgets during inspections, as reported by The Moscow Times. However, because local regulations prohibit using power outlets in the subway without special permission, passengers have repeatedly complained about difficulties when their devices were discharged—cases in which people were reportedly denied entry to the metro.
-50c64d019d3899de5677f8b898913418.jpg)
At the same time, similar surveillance practices are being enforced by Russian authorities in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, extending security controls directly into schools.
According to the National Resistance Center, occupation administrations have begun systematically inspecting schoolchildren’s mobile phones under the pretext of “security checks.” The Center reported that these measures represent a new wave of interference in children’s private lives, with officials blaming alleged parental negligence to justify the inspections.
Witnesses say particular scrutiny is placed on installed applications. Occupation authorities are reportedly targeting platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, and VPN services, seeking to remove access to independent media, uncensored information, and online content not controlled by Russia.
The Center said the practice is aimed at isolating children from alternative sources of information and tightening ideological control in occupied areas.
Earlier, it was reported that Russia’s State Duma is expected to review government-sponsored amendments to the country’s Law on Communications that would sharply broaden the powers of the Federal Security Service to cut off communications.
If adopted, the changes would allow the security service to require telecom providers to temporarily halt not only mobile internet services but also fixed-line internet and telephone connections. Officials frame the expanded authority as a measure to “protect citizens and the state from security threats.”
-7f54d6f9a1e9b10de9b3e7ee663a18d9.png)
