POLITICS

Russia cellphone internet outages disrupt daily life nationwide

PUBLISHED Nov 22, 2025, 1:40 AM ET

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Media Bias Meter

Sources: 8

Left 13%

Center 63%

Right 25%

Sources: 8

TALLINN, Estonia — Russian authorities implemented cellphone internet shutdowns beginning in May 2025, citing efforts to prevent Ukrainian drones from using mobile networks. The outages persisted through summer and into fall, affecting dozens of regions and causing daily disruptions to mobile links reported in November. Residents reported that contactless payments, ATMs, messaging apps and medical monitoring were unavailable, while broadband and Wi‑Fi remained operational. The Kremlin defended the measures as necessary; monitoring groups like Na Svyazi recorded average of 57 regions reporting daily disruptions in November. Analysts questioned their effectiveness against drone strikes. Based on 8 articles reviewed and supporting research.

By Daniel Hayes | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

May 2025 — Widespread cellphone internet shutdowns begin across multiple Russian regions.
Summer 2025 — Shutdowns persist; messaging apps face additional restrictions and state app promotion increases.
Fall 2025 — Mobile outages continue, disrupting payments, ATMs, and medical monitoring for citizens.
November 2025 — Na Svyazi reports an average of 57 regions with daily mobile disruptions.
November 2025 — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calls measures justified; analysts express doubts about effectiveness.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 8
Right Leaning:: 2
Left Leaning:: 1
Neutral:: 5

Who Benefited

Russian security and regulatory agencies consolidated operational control over mobile networks and accelerated deployment of state-approved applications, which officials framed as measures to mitigate drone threats and protect infrastructure.

Who Impacted

Millions of Russian residents, including patients reliant on remote medical monitoring, commuters using contactless payments, and small businesses, experienced service disruptions, financial inconvenience, and interrupted communications.

Media Bias