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Time of India
6 minutes ago
- Time of India
Shutdowns of cellphone internet links sweep Russia, further limiting already-stifled net freedom
By Dasha Litvinova A snappy tune by a blogger that mockingly laments his poor internet connection in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don has gotten over a half-million views on Instagram in two weeks. "How to say you're from Rostov without saying a word? Show one bar of cellphone service," Pavel Osipyan raps while walking around the city, smartphone in hand. "We have internet until 12 o'clock, and recently there's been no connection at all. No need to be angry, just get used to it already." The complaints by Osipyan - unable to pay electronically for groceries, or having to use paper maps while driving - aren't isolated to Rostov-on-Don, which borders Ukraine and, as home to Russia 's Southern Military District, is targeted frequently by drones. In the last two months, cellphone internet shutdowns, which officials say are needed to foil Ukrainian drones, have hit dozens of Russian regions - from those near the fighting to parts of Siberia and even the Far East. Some Wi-Fi outages also have been reported. Russians contacted by The Associated Press talked about card payments not going through, taxi and ride-sharing apps not working properly, ATMs that sometimes fail. Experts point to the unprecedented nature of the measures and warn of far-reaching consequences in a country where the Kremlin already has significantly curtailed online freedom. Such shutdowns in the name of security legitimize them to the public and open the door for authorities abusing the restrictions, said Anastasiya Zhyrmont, policy manager for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Access Now digital rights group. A signal to regional authorities Experts say the trend began in May, when Russia celebrated the 80th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazi Germany in World War II and foreign dignitaries flocked to Moscow for a big military parade. The capital suffered severe disruptions of cellphone connectivity to the internet for days, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed those were deliberate restrictions due to regular Ukrainian drone attacks. Asked how long they'd last, he replied, "This will be done as needed." Russia has restricted smartphone connectivity before, with isolated instances during protests, as well as in regions bordering Ukraine. Shutdowns in the capital, however, sent a signal to authorities across the vast country that it's a useful tool, said lawyer Sarkis Darbinyan, founder of Russian internet freedom group Roskomsvoboda. Ukraine's "Operation Spiderweb" in early June, in which drones launched from containers on trucks attacked airfields deep inside Russia, made officials all the more eager to take action, Darbinyan said. "They got really scared that drones now may appear, like a jack-in-the-box, in any Russian regions," he told AP. By mid-July, deliberate shutdowns spread to most of the country, according to Na Svyazi - Russian for "staying connected" - an activist group tracking internet availability. On Tuesday, the group reported cellphone internet shutdowns in 73 of over 80 regions. In 41 of them, there were reports of broadband network outages as well, while restrictions on broadband internet occurred in six regions, while cellphone connections were fine. Some regional officials confirmed that cellphone internet was restricted for security reasons. Nizhny Novgorod Gov. Gleb Nikitin said this month the measure will stay in place in the region east of Moscow for "as long as the threat remains." Asked Thursday whether such mass shutdowns were justified, Peskov said "everything that has to do with ensuring the safety of citizens, everything is justified and everything is a priority." Unpredictable disruptions Russians from affected regions say the outages can last for hours or days; patterns also are hard to discern, with service working in one part of a city but vanishing elsewhere. In Voronezh, near Ukraine and frequently targeted by drones, one resident said she felt like she was in "a cave" in early July with no cellphone internet or Wi-Fi in her home. The woman, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because of security concerns, said she was only able to get online at work the next day. Cellphone internet in the southwestern city of Samara "goes out at the most unpredictable moments," said Natalia, who also spoke on condition that her last name be withheld for safety reasons. Her home Wi-Fi recently also has slowed to a near halt around 11 p.m., staying that way for a few hours, she said. Connectivity has improved recently in the Siberian city of Omsk, said Viktor Shkurenko, who owns retail stores and other businesses there. But cellphone internet service was out in his office for an entire week. A few of his smaller stores that rely on cellphone networks suffered disruptions, but nothing critical, he said. "I don't feel any super strong discomfort," said Grigori Khromov of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia's fifth-largest city where regular and widespread shutdowns were reported. "I have an office job and I work either at home or in the office and have either wire internet or Wi-Fi." In rural areas, small towns and villages, where cellphone internet often is the only way to get online, the situation was harder to gauge. Pharmacies in such areas have struggled, Russian media reported and the Independent Pharmacies Association confirmed to AP. Viktoria Presnyakova, head of the association, said in a statement that prescriptions must be logged in special software, but that becomes impossible without an internet connection for weeks. A social media user in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine complained on Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov's social media page that without cellphone internet and a working alarm system, village residents have to bang on a rail to warn neighbors of an attack. The authorities promised to look into improving connectivity in the area. Authorities elsewhere also announced steps to minimize disruptions by opening Wi-Fi spots. They also are reportedly planning to establish an agency to coordinate the shutdowns, according to Izvestia, a Kremlin-backed newspaper that cited unidentified government sources. Peskov said he was unaware of the plan. Russia's efforts at internet control Russian and Ukrainian drones use cellphone internet networks to operate, so shutdowns are one way authorities try to counter the attacks, said Kateryna Stepanenko, a Russia analyst at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War. But it's also part of the Kremlin's long-term effort to rein in the internet. Authorities have actively censored online content in the last decade, blocking thousands of websites of independent media, opposition groups and human rights organizations. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the government blocked major social media like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as encrypted messenger platform Signal and a few other messaging apps. Access to YouTube - wildly popular in Russia - was disrupted last year in what experts called deliberate throttling by the authorities. The Kremlin blamed YouTube owner Google for not properly maintaining its hardware in Russia. State internet watchdogs routinely block virtual private network services that help circumvent the restrictions, and there are plans to introduce a national messenger app, expected to replace foreign ones. Along with the shutdowns, these are part of a larger campaign "to establish control over the internet, which is something the Kremlin had failed to do 20 years prior on the same level that China did," said the ISW's Stepanenko. Access Now's Zhyrmont says it's "very disturbing" that Russians have gotten used to living with growing internet restrictions, including shutdowns. "This shouldn't be modern reality," she said.
The Hindu
32 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Kremlin says it agrees with Ukraine that peace talks need to be stepped up
The Kremlin said on Friday (July 18, 2025) that it agreed with a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that there needed to be more momentum around peace talks between the warring sides. Two rounds of talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey this year yielded an agreement to exchange prisoners and soldiers' remains. But no date has yet been set for a new round of talks and both sides remain far apart on the terms of any ceasefire. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said that recent warnings by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding possible secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian exports were not viewed in Moscow as a sign that bilateral talks with Washington were at an end.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
More Trouble For Indian Refined Oil In International Market As EU Targets Rosneft-Linked Refinery
Kallas stressed that the EU would 'keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow." India's refined oil exports may face increased challenges in the international market following the European Union's latest sanctions package targeting Russia. On Friday, the EU approved its 18th package of sanctions in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The announcement was made by Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. 'We are standing firm. The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions package against Russia to date. We're cutting the Kremlin's war budget further, going after 105 more shadow fleet ships, their enablers, and limiting Russian banks' access to funding," Kallas wrote on X. 'Nord Stream pipelines will be banned. A lower oil price cap. We are putting more pressure on Russia's military industry, Chinese banks that enables sanctions evasion, and blocking tech exports used in drones," she added. 'For the first time, we're designating a flag registry and the biggest Rosneft refinery in India. Our sanctions also hit those indoctrinating Ukrainian children. We will keep raising the costs, so stopping the aggression becomes the only path forward for Moscow," Kallas said. The sanctions package includes action against 105 vessels of Russia's 'shadow fleet" and their enablers, the Russian banking system, and a ban on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea. It is the first time the EU has sanctioned a flag registry. The registry in question includes a list of ships sailing under the Indian flag. The sanctions also cover the biggest Rosneft refinery in India. While Rosneft does not directly own a refinery in India, it holds a 49.13% stake in Nayara Energy, which operates the Vadinar refinery — the second-largest single-site refinery in India. This development could mean more trouble for Indian refined oil in the international market. Amid the developments, EU Ambassador to India Hervé Delphin recently clarified the bloc's position, saying, 'We never prevented anyone from buying oil from Russia. Good for India that it got Russian oil at discounted prices, makes it more affordable. EU sanctions only cap oil revenue; lower cap puts India in better bargaining position." view comments First Published: July 18, 2025, 16:08 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
