Putin orders FSB to protect vital services during web blocks
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a major digital contingency plan, commanding Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov to guarantee that citizens maintain access to critical online medical, financial, and payment systems even during government-enforced mobile internet shutdowns.
According to a directive published by the Kremlin, the high-level officials have been given a deadline of July 1 to report back with a concrete strategy to "ensure the uninterrupted operation of the most important services" during designated periods of "limited operation of the Internet,", News.Az reports, citing Reuters
The move highlights a growing domestic problem. Russia has significantly escalated localized mobile internet blackouts and clamped down heavily on foreign messaging applications. The aggressive restrictions have forced millions of ordinary citizens to rely on Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to maintain basic connectivity. While Kremlin critics argue the digital crackdowns are an ongoing effort to tighten domestic control and stifle dissent after four years of war, the government points to defense as its primary motivation.
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Putin has publicly justified the communications disruptions as an uncomfortable but vital security measure. The Kremlin maintains that dropping cellular signals and internet access is occasionally necessary to blind guidance systems and intercept incoming Ukrainian drone raids or prevent coordinated terrorist attacks.
However, the administration is increasingly aware that turning off the internet paralyzes local economies and emergency services. By ordering the FSB and the prime minister to build a shielded digital corridor, Moscow is trying to create a two-tiered system: one where the state can successfully block public communication and foreign apps during a crisis without accidentally shutting down hospitals, banking networks, and state-run information channels.
By Aysel Mammadzada
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