May 5, 2026
Russia cuts mobile internet in Moscow and St. Petersburg ahead of Victory Day
TL;DR
- Mobile internet was unavailable in Moscow and St. Petersburg on May 5.
- The outage affected all four major carriers and impacted services like taxis, parking, and ATMs.
- A "white list" of accessible websites was also initially taken down in Moscow but later considered for restoration.
- The Digital Development Ministry announced the end of "temporary blocks" later on May 5, though problems persisted.
- Advance warnings were issued to residents about potential service cuts between May 5 and 9 for security reasons.
- Disruptions also spread to other regions, including Perm Krai.
- Businesses and individuals faced challenges processing payments and accessing essential services.