Russia announces a total shutdown of mobile internet in Moscow for May 9th

Moscow.- On May 9, the date of the military parade on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, mobile internet will be completely blocked in Moscow, including resources from the authorized ‘white list’, according to the Russian Ministry of Digital Development reported this Thursday. “To ensure the safety of the Victory Day celebrations on May 9, access to mobile internet — including authorized websites — and SMS services in Moscow will be temporarily restricted,” the ministry announced on its channel on MAX, the Russian Telegram. According to Digital Development, cable internet and WI-Fi services will continue to function normally and without restrictions. In addition, it was stated that “there are no plans to block or limit mobile internet in Moscow on May 7th and 8th.” The Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media had previously stated that there were no plans to interrupt or restrict mobile internet in Moscow on May 7 and 8. However, if immediate security threats arose, operational restrictions could be imposed.

Last Tuesday, Russian authorities blocked the mobile internet service in the Russian capital for several hours “for security reasons.”

Another lockdown in March

Last March, there was also a lockdown that lasted for almost three weeks and caused great discontent among its inhabitants. On Monday, mobile phone companies warned their customers via SMS that internet outages are expected between May 5 and 9 in the city of Moscow. In turn, the MTS company drew attention to the fact that the cuts could also extend to the Moscow region, which surrounds the Russian capital. Russian authorities indicate that the cuts are due to security measures in the face of the threat of a possible attack by Ukraine during the military parade on May 9 in Red Square, which this year will be characterized by the absence of heavy weaponry for the first time since 2007. For their part, telephone companies have renounced taking responsibility for the interruptions of their services, as it is the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) that imposes the restrictions at the request of the head of state, according to a law enacted about two months ago.