As the Kremlin throttles internet access, Russians find scrappy work-arounds

"In Moscow, a highly digitized city humming with online services, a three-week internet shutdown this year created a sense of time warp back to the 1990s. People panic-bought radios and pagers, and unfolded paper maps. Public toilets stopped working, paralyzed without bank payments by mobile internet. Taxi and ride-sharing apps were unreachable. Messaging platforms went dead."

"In areas close to Ukraine, more vulnerable to drone strikes, residents were cut off from Telegram, the main tool used to communicate air raid alerts. The shutdown, which spanned most of March, ended as abruptly as it began, with little explanation beyond security concerns as Ukraine extends the reach of its attacks inside Russia."

"Last week, residents of Russia's largest cities woke to find their phones again unable to connect to mobile internet and, in some areas, unable even to make calls or send text messages - restrictions the authorities justified as necessary security measures ahead of Victory Day celebrations over the weekend. Some Russians, however, are making clear they are too online to give up the internet as they know it and would rather face Ukrainian attacks than go without 5G."

"“People are literally saying, 'Let there be drones, but the internet must work,'” Alexander Baunov, a political analyst with the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, wrote in recent analysis. As Ukrainian drones continue to hit oil depots and other targets on Russian soil despite the internet cuts, speculation has grown that the latest restrictions are the next step in a broader crackdown."

A three-week internet shutdown in Moscow during March caused a sudden return to 1990s-like conditions, with people panic-buying radios and pagers and using paper maps. Public services were disrupted, including public toilets that stopped working because mobile internet was required for bank payments. Taxi and ride-sharing apps became unreachable, and messaging platforms went dead. In areas near Ukraine, residents lost access to Telegram, limiting air raid alert communication. The shutdown ended abruptly with limited explanation beyond security concerns and claims of temporary safety. Later, mobile internet and even basic calling and texting were restricted in major cities ahead of Victory Day celebrations, with some residents preferring continued connectivity despite attacks.

Read at The Washington Post