Russia Gives FSB Kill Switch Power Over Entire Internet and Phone Networks

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has been granted sweeping powers to shut down the internet, mobile networks, and other communications services across the country in the name of national security.

According to assessment by the UK Ministry of Defense, the Russian State Duma passed new legislation on January 27, 2026, enabling the FSB to mandate complete communication blackouts in response to undefined “security threats.”

The new law requires telecom providers to immediately suspend services upon receiving a directive from the FSB. The regulation applies to all forms of communication, including broadband internet, mobile and landline telephone services, and messaging platforms.

Service providers are legally protected from financial liability for outages caused by compliance with the law.

The UK Ministry of Defense noted that the legislation introduces an “unprecedented degree of state control” over digital infrastructure. Due to the broad legal definition of “communication services,” the FSB may now legally interfere with virtually all data transmission channels—voice, text, video, and internet traffic.

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This move, the UK government added, fits into a broader pattern of increasing state control over Russia’s information space, a trend that accelerated after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Earlier, Russian leader Vladimir Putin directed the government to draft additional restrictions targeting software from countries Moscow labels as “unfriendly,” according to a list of presidential orders published on the Kremlin’s official website.

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