Amid increased drone attacks, several Russian regions are experiencing frequent mobile internet disruptions. Despite the implementation of a “whitelist” for socially important online services, citizens continue to face difficulties with payments, calling taxis, and accessing various applications.
Recently, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks deep within Russian territory have intensified. According to the Ministry of Defense, over 230 drones were neutralized in two days, from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Reports of mobile internet shutdowns in certain regions, implemented as a measure against drones, began to emerge in late May. By mid-summer, this practice had become widespread in areas where a UAV threat was declared.
This issue primarily affects border regions. Anna Skripka, a regional correspondent for “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” in the Belgorod region, notes that in this area, there are still localized instances of complete mobile internet outages:
Anna Skripka, a correspondent for “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” in the Belgorod region, states: “Internet shutdowns sometimes covered entire cities and agglomerations. In the Belgorod region, there were instances where it was completely impossible to call a taxi via an application. In the Kursk region, it was sometimes impossible to even pay for purchases with bank cards. Over time, when `whitelists` for certain services were introduced, it became a bit easier. However, as a resident of the Belgorod agglomeration, I can confirm that mobile network access sometimes remains unavailable.”
The “whitelist” comprises socially significant resources for the Russian population, such as the “Gosuslugi” (Public Services) portal, VK, and Yandex services (including navigation and taxi). According to media reports, services from major Russian banks are also included.
Although the pilot project for the “whitelist” began in September, by October its operation still faces issues, as reported by Diana Egorova, a journalist for the “Sotsinformburo” news agency in Volgograd:
Diana Egorova: “We learn about communication outages through word-of-mouth and Telegram channels; it usually doesn`t affect all operators or all areas.
— Let`s turn to the `whitelist`.
— We still encounter communication problems even in the city center. For example, I couldn`t make a payment via a banking application due to lack of connection. This doesn`t happen every day, but such situations occur. I haven`t fully grasped the meaning and principle of the `whitelist`s` operation yet. Furthermore, there`s a significant problem with tracking public transport when mobile internet is down.”
This week, three drones were detected and neutralized in Tyumen. According to local residents, this led to mobile internet outages in the city and unstable Wi-Fi connections. Media noted that this was the first such incident in the region, considering Tyumen is approximately two thousand kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Meanwhile, for residents of Rostov-on-Don, communication outages caused by UAV threats have become commonplace, according to Vera Yuzhanskaya, editor-in-chief of the local newspaper “Nashe Vremya”:
Vera Yuzhanskaya: “Our communication is shut down with enviable regularity, so we`ve grown accustomed to not being able to reach someone, and we no longer even notice it. It has become routine.
— How much does the situation differ from one district of Rostov-on-Don to another?
— It depends on the location of enterprises and other facilities.
— Are there areas where people feel generally comfortable?
— No, outages are happening everywhere now. Those who cannot leave at night suffer the most, when difficulties with taxis arise — these happen despite the `whitelist`.”
— Are public Wi-Fi networks actively developing in your cities?
— Yes, quite actively. It`s not very convenient, but that`s only because we`re not used to it. We`ll get used to it — and it will be fine.”
Notably, the “whitelist” itself is published and updated by the Ministry of Digital Development on its official Telegram channel. However, the Telegram messenger itself is not included in this list.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth