Russia’s government has proposed legislation that would dramatically expand the powers of the Federal Security Service (FSB), allowing it to shut down virtually all forms of communication across the country.
The amendments, due to be considered by the State Duma on Jan. 27, would authorize the FSB to temporarily turn off not only mobile internet, but also fixed-line internet, telephone services, and “any other means of communication,” according to the independent outlet Faridaily.
The stated justification is broad: “protecting citizens and the state from security threats.”
Under the proposal, the specific situations in which the FSB could order shutdowns would be defined later – either by presidential decree or a government resolution.
Telecom operators would be required to comply and would be shielded from financial liability to customers affected by the outages.
Legal experts warn the scope of the amendments is far wider than it appears.
Lawyer Alexander Karavaev told the Faridaily that the changes could even apply to postal services. Sergey Afanasyev, a lawyer as well, said the wording allows for an extremely broad interpretation.
Under current Russian law, “communications services” include both postal and electronic communications – the latter covering the transmission of any messages, in any form, via radio, wired, optical, or other electromagnetic systems.
Another lawyer, Leonid Solovyov, pointed to the lack of clarity around what constitutes a “security threat.” Russian law contains no defined list of such threats and offers no clear explanation of the term.
A national trend of tightened control
According to The Moscow Times, internet shutdowns linked to “security concerns” have been recorded in more than 50 Russian regions since mid-2025, typically justified as protection against Ukrainian drone attacks.
The Ulyanovsk region in central Russia has become the first in the country to officially suspend access to mobile Internet indefinitely, with local authorities confirming that the restrictions will remain in place “until the end of the war against Ukraine,” regional officials announced at a press conference on Nov. 8.
By the end of 2025, Russia had become the world’s leading country for mobile internet shutdowns.
According to data compiled by Top10VPN, internet outages in Russia totaled 37,166 hours in 2025 and affected nearly the entire population – around 146 million people.
Internet access has been cut even in regions far from Ukraine’s border, where drones have never reached.
“In many cases, it’s unclear on what legal basis entire regions are living without internet,” Karavaev said, noting that Russia’s media watchdog Roskomnadzor has at times denied issuing such orders.
Afanasyev added that existing legislation already allows internet shutdowns in cases of a real terrorist threat or to pursue those responsible — raising questions about why the authorities now want even broader powers.