Russia is introducing new restrictions on access to the Internet and popular messaging apps, with authorities explaining the measures by the need to fight crime and strengthen security amid the ongoing war with Ukraine, reports Agence France-Presse.
In recent days, Russian authorities have ordered restrictions on the operation of the WhatsApp and Telegram apps, following a series of similar measures against internet services in the country. According to the official position, the goal is to counter criminal activity and sabotage, while at the same time encouraging the use of the state-backed Russian app "Max".
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the restrictions would continue as long as necessary. "They will remain in force as long as additional measures are needed to ensure the safety of our citizens," he said at a regular briefing in Moscow.
Peskov accused Ukraine of using "increasingly sophisticated methods of attack" and said more technologically advanced means of counteraction were needed. Russian security services have repeatedly claimed that the Telegram app is being used to recruit people for sabotage in Russia.
However, users in the country are reporting serious difficulties. Residents of Moscow and other regions say that internet connections have become slower and messages are being delivered with a significant delay.
"I have problems with messaging apps and I can't contact my relatives," a Moscow student told Agence France-Presse. Other users reported that messages sometimes took half an hour to arrive.
The agency's journalists also reported disruptions to mobile internet in the western Russian regions of Orel and Tula. Residents of Moscow also reported that WhatsApp was down and Telegram was loading very slowly.
Business is also feeling the effects. An employee of the oil company Lukoil said that the restrictions were making it difficult for him to work because he could not communicate with clients and was forced to look for wireless networks whenever possible.
The technology blog "Durova's Code" reported that Moscow had been experiencing periodic local internet service outages over the past week, with connections sometimes dropping simultaneously across all operators in entire neighborhoods.
According to sources at the blog and RBC TV, the restrictions may be related to tests of the so-called "white list" - a system in which only selected sites and applications remain accessible during internet restrictions.
This list mainly includes government services, websites of state institutions, banks and state media. The list is updated periodically and was introduced last fall.
Critics of the Kremlin and human rights organizations believe that the restrictions are part of the authorities' efforts to increase surveillance of the Internet and make it difficult for Russians to communicate with people outside the country. The Kremlin, for its part, says it will analyze the problems the measures create for businesses and propose solutions to limit them.