Inside the race to cut Russia off from the global internet

"All military work goes through Telegram - all communication. That would be like shooting the entire Russian army in the head. Anton, a 44-year-old Russian soldier heading a drone repair workshop, described the critical importance of Telegram for military coordination, emphasizing how restricting access would devastate operational capabilities and command structure."

"Kremlin policymakers have already blocked or limited access to WhatsApp, along with parent company Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Microsoft's LinkedIn, Google's YouTube, Apple's FaceTime, Snapchat and X, which like SpaceX is owned by Musk. Encrypted messaging apps Signal and Discord, as well as Japanese-owned Viber, have been inaccessible since 2024."

"Last month, President Vladimir Putin signed a law requiring telecom operators to block cellular and fixed internet access at the request of the Federal Security Service. Shortly after it took effect on March 3, Moscow residents reported widespread problems with mobile internet, calls and text messages across all major operators for several days."

Russian military operations face critical communication challenges following SpaceX's decision to cut Starlink access to Russian forces and subsequent government restrictions on Telegram, the primary coordination tool for frontline troops. Russian authorities have systematically blocked or limited access to numerous communication platforms including WhatsApp, Meta's services, LinkedIn, YouTube, FaceTime, Snapchat, X, Signal, Discord, and Viber. President Putin signed legislation requiring telecom operators to block internet access at security service request, causing widespread outages affecting mobile service and Wi-Fi across Moscow. These restrictions isolate Russians from external communications and internal coordination, creating significant operational complications for military units dependent on these platforms for command structure and direct troop coordination.

Read at Business Insider