Muscovites have increasingly turned to walkie-talkies, pagers, and paper maps after more than a week of unexplained internet outages across the capital, sparking fears the Kremlin is quietly testing a new system of online control and censorship.

Unexplained Disruptions Grip Major Cities

For over a week, residents in central Moscow, alongside its northern and southern districts, and parts of St Petersburg, have reported significant difficulties accessing mobile internet services. Many have found themselves unable to load websites or applications, whilst others have lost service entirely, making even basic phone calls impossible.

The Kremlin, in a rare statement, attributed the outages to efforts to “ensure security,” adding that these restrictions would remain “as long as additional measures are necessary.” However, officials provided no further details regarding the specific reasons behind the widespread disruptions, leaving citizens and observers to speculate.

While mobile internet shutdowns have been a recurring complaint across Russia for several months, the current outages affecting Moscow’s inner centre – the country’s pivotal political and economic hub – have drawn far greater scrutiny. Dmitry, a 31-year-old consultant in Moscow, described the situation as a “massive headache.” He told reporters he was struggling to order taxis, send work emails, and even communicate with his family, highlighting the profound impact on daily life.

The Shadow of a 'Whitelist' System

Human rights activists suggest the extensive internet disruptions could be linked to Moscow’s testing of a new “whitelist” system. Under such a system, only a limited number of government-approved websites and essential online services would remain accessible to Russian citizens, effectively creating a state-controlled intranet.

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Officials in Moscow previously indicated that this whitelist of available websites would encompass “all resources needed for life,” including online marketplaces, delivery services, and pharmacies. But observers warn that implementing such a system would dramatically curtail Russians’ access to the wider, global internet, raising serious concerns about information control.

Internet shutdowns have become notably more frequent in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. In 2025, the country was ranked first globally for the sheer number of internet disruptions, according to estimates compiled by the research group Top10VPN. Russian officials have previously attempted to justify internet shutdowns as a means to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, though experts largely dismiss these measures as unlikely to be effective.

Economic Fallout and a Return to Analogue

The current disruptions have dealt a particularly heavy blow to essential services, including courier operations, taxi applications, and retail businesses. Russia’s prominent business daily, Kommersant, has estimated that the economic losses stemming from the internet shutdown in Moscow alone could be as high as one billion roubles, approximately £9.4 million, each day.

The impact has also reached the highest echelons of power. Lawmakers inside the State Duma, Russia’s parliament, complained last Thursday that mobile networks and Wi-Fi were inoperative within the building, leaving deputies effectively cut off from external communications and the internet. This demonstrated the pervasive nature of the outages, affecting even those in authority.

Faced with this digital void, many Muscovites have resorted to communication methods long considered obsolete. Data from Wildberries & Russ, a leading Russian e-commerce platform, indicates a big surge in sales of older technologies. Sales of pagers have soared by 73 per cent since the outages began, while walkie-talkie purchases have risen by 27 per cent. Landline phone sales have also increased by more than a quarter, and the demand for city maps and paper guides to Moscow has nearly tripled, as residents seek reliable alternatives to navigate and communicate in an increasingly disconnected city.

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Citizens have reported difficulties paying in cafes and shops, communicating with loved ones, and transferring money, whilst taxi prices have reportedly skyrocketed as drivers exploit the lack of competition from ride-hailing apps.

This article was created with AI assistance.