Report: Moscow to restrict mobile internet and SMS from May 5 to 9 ahead of Victory Day parade
Mobile internet and SMS service in Moscow will be restricted from May 5 to 9, the Russian Telegram news channel Ostorozhno Novosti reported.
Moscow residents have begun receiving notifications from mobile carriers warning of the restrictions, according to the channel. Russian mobile operator Beeline confirmed the information.
Ksenia Sobchak posted a screenshot of one such notification to her Telegram channel. It states that from May 5 to 9, mobile internet and SMS service in Moscow may face “temporary restrictions” for security purposes, and advises residents to use Wi-Fi to access the internet.
BBC Russia reported on April 29, citing a source, that authorities had planned far broader mobile communications restrictions in Moscow ahead of the May 9 parade. One source said the plan was to cut all mobile communications — and possibly SMS — on May 5, 7, and 9. Sources in the telecom sector at the Russian business daily Kommersant later confirmed that account, as did sources at Forbes Russia. “The restrictions will happen, but their scale is not yet clear,” one of Kommersant’s sources said.
Moscow residents first encountered large-scale internet restrictions a year ago, ahead of the 80th anniversary celebrations of Victory Day, when mobile internet effectively stopped working for several days across a number of the city’s districts.
In March 2026, mobile communications restrictions returned to Moscow, running parallel to intensified blocking of Telegram. The Kremlin said all communications shutdowns and restrictions were occurring “in strict accordance with current legislation” and were connected to ensuring security. It soon emerged that Moscow had activated a “white list” system — a set of websites accessible during mobile internet shutdowns.
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