Putin orders medical services and payment access during mobile internet shutdowns
-
Contribution by
Izabelė Pukėnaitė
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the prime minister and the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) to ensure access to key medical, information, and payment services during periods when mobile internet service is limited.
-
Putin has ordered officials to ensure access to medical, information and payment services during mobile internet shutdowns.
-
The directive targets the FSB and government, requiring them to report progress by July 1.
-
Russia has increasingly used mobile internet shutdowns alongside broader restrictions on foreign apps and VPNs.
Russia has this year sometimes shut down mobile internet services and cracked down on foreign messenger apps, forcing millions to turn to VPNs as part of what Putin's opponents say is an attempt to shore up domestic control after 4 years of war.
Cybernews has previously reported that because of the mobile internet limitations, Moscow residents had started using pagers, walkie-talkies, and paper maps to navigate through one of the biggest European cities and stay connected.
In events leading up to the internet limitation, Russia shut down FaceTime, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and others.
In a list of orders published on Sunday by the Kremlin, Putin ordered the government and the FSB to "ensure the uninterrupted operation of the most important services" during periods of "limited operation of the internet."
The order said that Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov were to report back by July 1st on their progress.
Putin has cast disruption to internet and communications networks as a painful, but sometimes essential security measure needed to prevent terrorist and Ukrainian drone attacks. But he has said that citizens should be allowed access to vital online services during such periods.
Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communication regulator, intends to block nearly all VPN servers operating within the country by 2030.
Russia's Ministry for Digital Development has also previously announced that foreign AI tools such as Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini could be banned or restricted inside the country.
The proposal would bring AI under the same approach Russia has been using for the internet: keeping out foreign influence and making sure everything aligns with what the government calls "traditional Russian spiritual and moral values."
Unlock more exclusive Cybernews content on YouTube.
