Putin Defends Internet Blackouts as Security Measure
Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended repeated internet blackouts in major cities as a necessary step to protect security, saying they are primarily aimed at preventing terrorist attacks, even if such threats are not always identified in advance.
He acknowledged that the outages cause problems in daily life, particularly in large cities.
Authorities have repeatedly cut mobile internet access in recent months, including in Moscow, where services were unavailable for nearly three weeks. The measures are partly driven by concerns that Ukrainian drones could use mobile networks for navigation.
However, the blackouts have drawn criticism from businesses, the banking sector and ordinary citizens, as they disrupt services such as banking and transport.
Putin also suggested that informing the public in advance of planned outages could be risky, as it could be exploited by “criminals”. At the same time, he called on security forces and civil authorities to improve coordination and ensure the functioning of key services.
According to analyst Tatiana Stanovaya, the president is seeking to legitimize the actions of the security services while acknowledging public discontent.