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Russia cuts mobile internet in Moscow and St. Petersburg ahead of Victory Day

Source: Meduza
Ramil Sitdikov / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA
  • Mobile internet went dark across Moscow and St. Petersburg on May 5 as authorities prepared to mark Victory Day. In Moscow and the Moscow region, connectivity disappeared in neighborhoods across the city around 8 a.m.; St. Petersburg began experiencing problems at 11:30 p.m. on May 4, according to reports, with the neighboring Leningrad Region affected during the afternoon of May 5. Subscribers of all four major carriers — Beeline, MegaFon, MTS, and T2 — lost access. Some also reported difficulty making calls and sending text messages.
  • The outage in Moscow took down the so-called “white list” as well — a set of websites and services designed to remain accessible even when everything else is blocked. Five hours into the disruption, Russia’s Digital Development Ministry announced it was coordinating with law enforcement and security services on the possibility of opening the “white list.”
  • Sberbank attributed the lack of mobile internet to “current connectivity conditions.” MTS told subscribers that the outage was caused by a force majeure event — “external radio-frequency interference.”
  • Ordering a taxi in Moscow became a struggle. Yandex warned that “not all” drivers would be able to accept ride requests and urged passengers to book via home internet or by phone. Drivers hunting for a signal headed to public Wi-Fi spots, including Vkusno — i tochka fast-food outlets, which said they had no objection.
  • Paying for parking also proved difficult. Moscow’s Department of Transportation recommended that residents use the mobile app or pay by text message, among other options. Muscovites began canceling classes at sports centers because there was no way to park.
  • Some ATMs in Moscow temporarily stopped working, the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Business owners could not process payments and had to visit bank branches in person.
  • Theaters and museums across Moscow — including the Pushkin Museum and the Moscow Art Theatre named after Chekhov — urged visitors to save or print their e-tickets before arriving.
  • Shortly after noon on May 5, the Digital Development Ministry announced that the “temporary blocks on mobile internet” imposed in Moscow “for security reasons” had ended and that carriers were restoring access to online resources. Specialists warned, however, that mobile internet problems in Moscow persisted after the ministry’s announcement. In St. Petersburg, access had not been restored either.
  • Disruptions spread beyond the two capitals. In Perm Krai, mobile internet was restricted starting May 4, with problems continuing the following day. Unconfirmed reports also emerged that the region had imposed a “white list” on fixed-line internet as well.
  • Mobile carriers and banks had warned residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other Russian cities — including Yekaterinburg and Perm — in advance that mobile service would be cut between May 5 and 9, potentially disrupting cashless payments and ATM withdrawals. Russian media reported that outages in Moscow were planned for May 5, 7, and 9.

At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.

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