‘My phone is a brick’: Russians scramble for information as data blocked

Mar 26, 2026 · 1729 words · By Niko Vorobyov

Analysis Summary

Propaganda Score: 20% (confidence: 80%)
Summary: The article discusses Russia's implementation of internet blackouts, citing security concerns related to Ukrainian drones. It mentions the impact on citizens, the government's justification for the measures, and criticisms from experts. The piece also references the use of state-controlled platforms and the potential for further restrictions.

“Russian authorities have implemented internet blackouts citing 'security concerns' due to Ukrainian drone attacks.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to confirm or refute claims about Russian internet blackouts related to Ukrainian drone attacks.

“Internet outages in Russia primarily affect mobile data, leaving Wi-Fi functional.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to verify the specific impact of internet outages on mobile vs. Wi-Fi in Russia.

“Diana, a St Petersburg teacher, reported that her phone has no mobile internet functionality.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to confirm or refute the personal account of Diana, a St Petersburg teacher.

“Kommersant estimated Moscow's economy lost 3-5 billion rubles in five days of internet shutdowns.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to verify Kommersant's economic loss estimate from internet shutdowns.

“Russian authorities are using internet blackouts to test their 'whitelist' of approved websites.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to confirm or refute claims about testing a 'whitelist' during internet blackouts.

“Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Belgorod, criticized internet outages and called for Roskomnadzor to be put on trial.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to verify Vyacheslav Gladkov's criticisms or demands regarding Roskomnadzor.

“Russia passed the 'sovereign internet' law in 2019 requiring state-controlled monitoring equipment.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to confirm or refute details about the 'sovereign internet' law's implementation in 2019.

“The 'sovereign internet' law enables real-time filtering, surveillance, and selective blocking of online traffic.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to verify the capabilities outlined in the 'sovereign internet' law.

“Since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia has accelerated cyber-censorship, blocking platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to confirm or refute claims about accelerated cyber-censorship since 2022.

“Russian authorities throttled YouTube in 2024, blaming Google's servers for slow speeds.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence in archive to verify claims about YouTube throttling in 2024 or Google's servers.

“Apple removed dozens of VPN services from the Russian app store at Roskomnadzor's request.”

❓ PENDING

“Russia opened a criminal investigation into Pavel Durov for facilitating terrorism.”

❓ PENDING

“Russian soldiers are ordered to delete Telegram, with non-compliance leading to reassignment to high-risk units.”

❓ PENDING

“Nikolai Kavkazsky stated Telegram is the most important source of communication and information for Russians.”

❓ PENDING

“Russia is throttling Telegram in preparation for a full block set to take effect on April 1.”

❓ PENDING

“Russian authorities blocked Telegram, which was later restored after technical difficulties.”

❓ PENDING

“Telegram has been used as a communications tool by both Russian and Ukrainian forces.”

❓ PENDING

“Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, was arrested in France on charges of failing to prevent illegal activity on the app.”

❓ PENDING