Residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg and dozens of other Russian regions encountered mobile internet restrictions ahead of Victory Day.
Large-scale outages began in Moscow and St. Petersburg on the morning of May 5. Russia’s Digital Development Ministry said temporary restrictions in the capital had been introduced for security reasons and later announced that they had been lifted.
Mobile operators and Sberbank nevertheless warned residents in more than 40 regions that disruptions could continue through May 9. Independent media estimates suggested roughly half of Russia’s federal regions could be affected.
During the shutdowns, some users were able to reach only services included on a government whitelist. The disruptions affected navigation, taxis, payment services, deliveries and other applications dependent on mobile data.
Russian authorities did not disclose the technical parameters of the shutdowns or specific intelligence behind the threat assessment. The Kremlin and government agencies linked the restrictions to security concerns amid Ukrainian drone attacks.
Such shutdowns are increasingly becoming a routine part of Russia’s anti-drone measures. Moscow had already used large-scale mobile communications restrictions during Victory Day events in May 2025.