Kremlin explains mobile internet outages in Moscow

Regional and independent outlets describe the Moscow outages as part of a wider effort by Russian authorities to tighten control over information flows during the war in Ukraine. They highlight that residents are getting used to regular blackouts and that the economic losses are mounting while officials keep the security justification vague. They expect further disruptions and warn that rumors, including coup speculation, will keep spreading in the absence of clear information.

• •Independent experts argue that Moscow’s internet shutdowns are politically driven rather than purely technical security steps.
• •Regional media report that Muscovites are resigning themselves to recurring mobile internet blackouts.
• •Fact-checkers say coup rumors linked to the Moscow outages are baseless and driven by wishful thinking.
• •Reports from Moscow stress that businesses are losing around US$12.6 million per day because of the shutdowns.
• •Regional outlets note that the Kremlin’s broad reference to security leaves the real reasons for the outages open to interpretation.