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Russia Recorded Nearly 12,000 Internet Shutdowns Since May 2025, Report Says
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Russia recorded nearly 12,000 internet shutdowns across its regions from May through late December 2025, with the Nizhny Novgorod region leading in the number of days affected, according to The Insider on December 31.
The Russian internet monitoring project “On the Line | Tech Support Service” recorded 11,903 shutdowns between May and December 29, The Insider reported.
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The highest number of shutdowns in a single day occurred on August 20, affecting 75 regions.
The Nizhny Novgorod region topped the list by days with shutdowns at 202, followed by the Rostov region with 200 and Moscow with 199. The Insider reported, adding that the top 10 also included the Saratov, Sverdlovsk and Yaroslavl regions, the Moscow region, the Omsk region, Tatarstan and St. Petersburg.
Russian authorities have justified mobile internet disruptions as security measures, including against Ukrainian drones, but The Insider said it previously found the pattern matched an actual drone threat in only about half of observed cases.
It said the first large-scale disruptions coincided with preparations for Victory Day events in Moscow and other regions.
The report linked the spread of shutdowns to broader restrictions on digital services, including the rollout of VK’s Max messenger, legislation to create a national messenger, Roskomnadzor’s steps to limit calling functions on Telegram and WhatsApp, and other measures affecting sign-ups.
Earlier, it was reported that authorities in Russia’s Belgorod and Rostov regions introduced a “whitelist” regime that preserved mobile signal but restricted access to non-approved sites and apps while allowing selected services such as VK and the Max messenger.
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