- Since May 2025, Russia has rolled out extensive cellular (mobile) internet blackouts across its territory. 654 outages were recorded in June alone, nearly ten times the number recorded in May. These outages impacted coverage for over half the country. The Russian government has formally stated that the blackouts are intended to block Ukrainian uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) reliant on cellular signals, but independent reports suggest the goal is tighter control over online information.
- Fixed line (wired internet slowdowns are rising too, with the Russian censorship agency Roskomnadzor allegedly testing full blackouts and throttling access to platforms like YouTube. The Medusa Project, a group of exiled Russian journalists based in Latvia, documented 20-21 day internet shutdowns in regions including Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Omsk, Tula, and Rostov-on-Don. Disruptions to ATMs, digital payments, and public safety alerts have reportedly taken place as a result.
- At least one period of outages reportedly coincided with a wave of Ukrainian UAS strikes, during which Russia claimed to have downed over 200 Ukrainian UAS nationwide.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 25 July 2025.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) July 25, 2025
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/wmOoAZdzxI #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/uJP0K6Ym4H
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