March 24, 2026

"Watch the UAV attack angle". Push notifications about drones, doctor appointments, and education are not working in the Belgorod region due to blockages. Similar problems in other regions.

Internet blockages have become the main topic raised by residents of the Belgorod region during the last "direct line" with Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. Due to restrictions that have been in place in the border area for the past week, all services familiar to citizens are not working: from banking applications and parking to the "Virtual School." Also, Belgorod residents are not receiving air raid notifications in Max. "Novaya-Yevropa" reports on what else residents of the Belgorod region are facing due to network outages. Passers-by near a concrete shelter in Belgorod, March 12, 2026. Photo: Andrey Borodulin / AFP / Scanpix / LETA. Push notifications A resident of Belgorod, Lyubov, asked Gladkov during the broadcast on March 23 why Belgorod residents need the Max messenger if the sound does not work when the channel with air raid warnings is installed. "Push notifications through MAX are impossible because the software is produced by foreign manufacturers. This contradicts the entire "White List" approach (a list of websites that work even with active blockages)," the governor said in response. Gladkov acknowledged internet blockages as "one of the most difficult problems that currently concerns the entire border area." The governor also explained that the entire notification system is built on push notifications that arrive in case of danger and emphasized that for Belgorod residents, "this is vitally important." Despite this, he noted that he does not know when he will be able to solve this "extremely complex" issue. Until the problem is resolved, Gladkov proposed switching to a "new algorithm of actions": when audible sirens about UAV attacks are activated on the streets, residents of Belgorod should log into the notification channels in Max, as well as independently "monitor the angle of the unmanned aerial vehicle's attack." The governor clarified that this is "undoubtedly inconvenient" and added that officials "are trying to solve the issue." A woman with a child hiding in a protective concrete structure on one of the streets of Belgorod, March 12, 2026. Photo: Andrey Borodulin / AFP / Scanpix / LETA. Doctor's appointments Residents of the Belgorod region asked Gladkov about the operation of the doctor's appointment service during the broadcast on March 23. Olga Bozhenko noted that it is possible to make an appointment through Gosuslugi, but to cancel an appointment or view test results, one can only do so on the electronic registry website, which has not been working for several days. Also, by phone number 122 (the number to call for emergency medical assistance), the robot drops calls on its own, the woman wrote. According to Gladkov, the region's Ministry of Digital Development is currently trying to add "Electronic Registry" to the "White List." He explained that "this possibility exists, but it will naturally take a certain amount of time." The authorities have not provided any more precise information on the deadlines for including the application in the "white lists." Diabetes Mellitus Due to regular internet outages in the region, parents cannot track their children's blood sugar levels while they are at school. This was reported by concerned parents during Gladkov's broadcast. Earlier, residents of Saratov faced a similar problem in November 2025. Thus, glucose levels in children with type 1 diabetes can be monitored using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensors, which alert patients to high or low sugar levels. When the internet is disconnected, the data in them is not updated. Read also: Parents of children with diabetes collected signatures to include glucose monitoring applications in the "white list." "The difficulty in adding this application to the "White List" is that the software belongs to a foreign company. By definition, it is impossible to include such products in the "White List," Gladkov explained. According to him, the last tender for the supply of a blood sugar monitoring device was won by a Russian-made company, so "the issue will be resolved." Study and Teaching Fourth-year medical college student Maxim Inyakov complained to the governor that due to internet outages, he cannot prepare for his accreditation exams and diploma work. According to him, all tests are online, and without internet, he cannot study. The student also noted that he lives in a village and does not have Wi-Fi at home. "How can we study? Or maybe all the deputies of the region will pass the accreditation and write the diploma for us? What about mobile internet? When will you deign to turn it on?" he asked. Residents also complained to the governor that the online learning application in the region, "Virtual School," is not included in the "White List." Gladkov stated that it "takes time" to add it. Ekaterina Soserodotskaya also noted that other important educational websites and applications are not working: "Uchi.ru" and "Algoritmika." The woman also emphasized that she can no longer track her child's journey to and from school using his electronic watch. "I can't transfer money from Sberbank, I can't read educational materials, I can't solve tests, messages don't arrive in Max unless you go into the app yourself - and then they are displayed. Our online lessons with a tutor are paid until the end of April, what should we do now? What kind of mockery is this?" Soserodotskaya said. At the same time, not only students but also teachers suffer from the lack of internet. Teacher Nadezhda Vladimirova said that for work, she "needs to register for Olympiads, work in the virtual school, assign grades, prepare for lessons, and communicate with children and parents." Anti-drone net at the entrance to a bank branch in Belgorod, March 12, 2026. Photo: Andrey Borodulin / AFP / Scanpix / LETA. "I DO NOT have a Wi-Fi access point at home. I CANNOT do my job. What indicators can be talked about? What about advanced education, when teachers simply don't have any connection with the outside world to perform the most basic tasks. Bring back the internet! Stop mocking ordinary people!" she urged. Parking Also, due to the lack of connection, citizens cannot pay for parking in Belgorod. Residents in the comments on Gladkov's page note that there is an option to pay via parking meters, but they are not installed everywhere and you cannot use funds from the parking account. "A parking meter is good when it's nearby, but it's not always nearby and on this street. Post-payment is also good, but only if people have home internet. I have funds in my parking account in the city parking app, which are actually impossible to use here and now," explains a Belgorod resident in the comments.