Russian users reported widespread service outages on Tuesday, according to Russian media.
The outage reportedly affected telecommunications companies and online platforms.
Messaging apps like Telegram and some independent news sites have played a huge role in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Millions of people in Russia and elsewhere rely on such platforms as data sources that do not convey the pro-Kremlin narrative conveyed through classic state news agencies.
Some Telegram outlets speculated that Roskomnadzor, the body that monitors the Kremlin’s media regarding the censorship rate in the country, could possibly have been Tuesday’s blackout. Newsweek could not independently determine those claims and contacted Roskomnadzor via email for comment.
The independent Russian news outlet Meduza reported the monitoring site Downdetector.su showed outages affecting customers using mobile phone providers such as Megafon, MTS, Rostelecom and Tele2.
Meanwhile, Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta wrote that Russian citizens were having difficulties with platforms such as Google, YouTube, Telegram, WhatsApp and TikTok.
Russia’s state-controlled news firm Tass reported that thousands of court cases similar to courts of mobile operators and web services had been filed on Tuesday. According to Tass, Rostelecom, Russia’s largest virtual service provider, said the outage is not similar to that of its networks.
News outlet Telegram Agency News said experts told them the closure could have simply been the result of measures taken through Roskomnadzor.
Roskomnadzor later told state media RIA Novosti that the system had been restored, explaining the failure as a “short-term disruption in connectivity. “
Anton Gerashchenko, the former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, posted on X (formerly Twitter): “A major Internet outage is happening in Russia right now, mobile communication is also offline, Russian media and Telegram channels report.”
After noting that other online and cellphone carriers were not working, Gerashchenko said that the Russian search engine Yandex would still be online.
“According to social media reports, some users say that only Yandex works: the search engine provides answers to queries, but you only have to click on the links,” Gerashchenko wrote. “Interestingly, it appears that couriers were not affected through the blackout. “
The press service of Roskomnadzor told Tass: “A short-term disruption in connectivity was detected. Network operation was promptly restored by the duty services of the Center for Monitoring and Control of the Public Communications Network.”
The Mash Telegram channel reported that Roskomnadzor’s press service said it was seeking to identify the cause of the blackout.
Jon Jackson is a News Editor at Newsweek based in New York. His focus is on reporting on the Ukraine and Russia war. Jon previously worked at The Week, the River Journal, Den of Geek and Maxim. He graduated Summa Cum Laude with honors in journalism and mass communication from New York University. Languages: English.