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Putin Defends Mobile Internet Blackouts, Blocks Telegram, WhatsApp

4/24/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Vladimir Putin said they do not announce internet shutdown times because it would aid criminals.
He defended mobile internet outages as a security measure against terrorist attacks and ordered a whitelist of services.
Mobile internet in Moscow was disabled for nearly three weeks last month while daily disruptions affect most Russian regions.
The Kremlin has blocked Telegram and WhatsApp while Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev prioritizes reducing VPN usage.

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Story summary

President Vladimir Putin said they do not announce internet shutdown times because it would aid criminals.
He defended mobile internet outages as a security measure against terrorist attacks and ordered a whitelist of services.
Mobile internet in Moscow was disabled for nearly three weeks last month while daily disruptions affect most Russian regions.
The Kremlin has blocked Telegram and WhatsApp while Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev prioritizes reducing VPN usage.