Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
A wave of state-ordered internet shutdowns is sweeping across Russia, framed as a defense against Ukrainian drone attacks. Yet recent strikes suggest the restrictions are doing little to protect key infrastructure.
Ukraine has ramped up its use of drone attacks to disrupt Russian energy infrastructure.
The objective is to cut off revenue from Russia’s energy industry, as it makes up a significant portion of Putin’s war chest.
Additionally, Ukraine wants the Russian population to feel what it is like to be cut off from basic energy supplies, especially as the dreaded Russian winter approaches.
The Russian authorities are making adjustments to disrupt the Ukrainian attacks — but are they really? Or is it actually part of a bigger plan to give the Kremlin even more control over the news?
Internet shutdowns increasing rapidly
Cybersports wrote in July that Russia had 655 internet outages recorded in June 2025 alone.
This is more than double the average number of internet outages worldwide for the entirety of 2024.
In the same month, AP reported that some of the outages had even been noted in regions far beyond the reach of Ukrainian drones.
A nationwide blackout ahead
Pro-Kremlin commentators warn that these restrictions are only the beginning and expect them to spread across the country.
Dialog.UA cites the propagandist known as Fighterbomber, who complained that Russia is moving closer to a situation in which the population has to travel thousands of kilometers to get a free internet connection.
He also lamented the fading memory of an era when the Russian internet was an open space where “you could say anything to anyone.”
Safety measures or crackdown on criticism?
According to Dialog.UA, some pro-Kremlin voices are beginning to question whether the proposed safety measures against Ukrainian drone attacks are in fact an attempt to strengthen Russian censorship.
If the internet and mobile service are shut down, the Russian population will not be able to communicate with each other, making it easier for the Kremlin to control the narrative of what is happening in the vast country.
Despite those measures, drones again struck the Orsk and Saratov oil refineries, both of which have been targeted before.
The “SIM-card cooling”
To combat the Ukrainian drone attacks, Russian officials have rolled out what they call a nationwide “SIM-card cooling” effort.
This is meant to make it harder for Ukrainian drones to operate, as SIM cards have previously been used in drone warfare for navigation.
The authorities have paired this with sweeping mobile internet blackouts intended to disrupt Ukrainian UAV control systems even further.
However, Russian pro-war commentators on Z-channels have voiced frustration, saying the promised security benefits simply are not materializing, Dialog.UA reports.
In fact, the measures are actually hurting Russian air defense.
Dialog.UA reports that bloggers point out that with networks down, air-defense operators are left uncertain about troop positions or incoming threats, as messaging apps remain the military’s primary means of sharing real-time locations and attack alerts.
Some bloggers are even admitting that the authorities’ attempts to counter the Ukrainian drone attacks have become a hindrance for Russian air defense.
According to Dialog.UA, one channel wrote that the logic behind the internet shutdown is clear, but the methods on the battlefield are constantly changing, and the imposed safety measures are already outdated.
24-hour mobile internet blackout for Russians returning home
On Wednesday, The Record reported that Russian telecom operators have initiated a 24-hour shutdown of mobile services for Russians returning home from abroad.
The idea is that the person using the SIM card must confirm that it is actually being used by a human, not a drone, the Digital Development Ministry wrote on Telegram.
Digital rights groups, however, note that most drones used in the war do not rely on mobile internet connections. Instead, the groups suggest, the Russian authorities may be imposing the increased shutdowns to signal loyalty to the Kremlin.
Sources: Dialog.UA, Cybersports, AP, The Record
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation
