A massive failure in wired internet service is being observed in the Russian Federation: over ten regions of the country have lost access to the network provided by the state operator ‘Rostelecom’. The disruptions began on November 15 and continue, causing numerous complaints among users in various areas.
This is reported by Finway
Spread of the Problem and Regional Features
The first reports of internet outages came from Vladimir, Ivanovo, Kostroma, and Yaroslavl regions. In Yaroslavl region, damage to the main channel was recorded, significantly affecting the stability of communication in the area. Subsequently, the problems spread to Murmansk region, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and partially to Krasnodar Krai.
Despite the lack of general internet access, many subscribers retained the ability to use websites included in the so-called ‘white list’ of the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia. This selective access, according to experts, aligns with the provisions of the law on ‘sovereign Runet’.
Causes of the Disruptions and Government Response
On November 16, users from several other regions joined the list of those affected by the wired internet outages: Mari El, Udmurtia, Amur, Belgorod, Kursk, Nizhny Novgorod, Pskov, Samara, and Chelyabinsk regions. The reasons for the mass disconnection remain unclear. Among the possible explanations, experts cite unsuccessful exercises on the ‘isolation’ of the Russian segment of the network, centralized traffic filtering, or a large-scale technical failure of the equipment.
“Such selective access — with the preservation of the ‘white list’ — is one of the options provided for by the law on ‘sovereign Runet’. It is still unclear whether the failure occurred due to unsuccessful exercises on the ‘isolation’ of the network, centralized command for filtering, or due to a large-scale equipment malfunction,” the publication notes.
The disruptions occurred shortly after Putin held a meeting with members of the Security Council, during which the ‘counteraction to offenses committed using information and communication technologies’ was discussed. In addition, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree on new ‘rules for centralized management of the public communication network’.
As a result, the state censorship body ‘Roskomnadzor’ was granted the authority to disconnect the Russian segment of the internet (Runet) from the global network and block any websites at its own discretion.