Initiatives to ease tension regarding internet restrictions

Initiatives to Ease Internet Restrictions Tensions

Forecast: "What's Happening in Russia and Around the World. An In-Depth Look at the Present and a Forecast for the Near Future" (Published April 20, 2026, link)

S. Dragun:

I don't rule out that (the President of Russia) might come up with an unexpected initiative to ease tensions in the area of internet restrictions. It's very possible that this could happen already at the end of April, perhaps on April 26-27, 2026.

In recent months, Russian users have increasingly faced temporary disruptions in mobile internet service in major cities. This topic has been raised at the highest level.

"At the end of April" - President of Russia Vladimir Putin - not only commented on the situation but also came up with an unexpected initiative to ease tensions in the area of internet restrictions, and instructed to do everything possible to ensure that critical services operate seamlessly.

In parallel, the State Duma and Mincyfra are discussing new mechanisms - from "white VPNs" to expanding the list of resources that will remain accessible even under strict restrictions.

At a government meeting on the development of the Arctic Zone, Vladimir Putin unexpectedly raised a topic that concerns millions of citizens - internet outages. He made his first statement on this issue since the beginning of the restrictions.

"I cannot fail to notice that people also face problems in large cities, not often, but unfortunately, this does happen," the president said, referring to some issues and outages in internet service in large metropolises.

Putin emphasized that in the event of a terrorist threat, the safety of people will always be a top priority. However, he called on law enforcement agencies to act inventively and professionally, necessarily taking into account the vital interests of citizens.

At the same time, the Russian leader acknowledged the complex dilemma. On the one hand, people need to be informed about communication restrictions, but on the other, widely informing the public about possible restrictions could help criminals adjust their plans.

"Criminals hear everything, see everything," noted V. Putin. In the end, he emphasized that based on the work of those involved, they should still inform people about what happened.

The main outcome of the meeting was the instruction to develop a mechanism for the uninterrupted work of key internet services even during basic restrictions on mobile internet. "As we know today, even without funds on their accounts, users can make emergency calls on mobile phones. In the case of mobile internet, it is necessary to organize work in a similar way," declared V. Putin.

This concerns the "Gosuslugi" (State Services) portal, payment systems, and doctor appointment services. The President instructed the Ministry of Digital Development to implement this possibility, together with law enforcement agencies, noting that the necessary technologies already exist.

Predicting further events in Russia, S. Dragans emphasizes:

...in everything, there is a completely sudden and unexpected turn in areas related to communication, the internet, new technologies, media, and financial issues related to the digital theme.  A sharp zigzag is noticeable, hinting at a revolutionary turn in these areas. But, this will not stop the processes of power reconstruction. This process will continue.

(continuation of the topic follows)