Russia disrupts internet access in multiple regions to test ‘sovereign internet’

Residents of several Russian regions experienced internet disruptions over the weekend as local authorities attempted to disconnect them from the global network and test the country’s so-called “sovereign internet” infrastructure.

According to a report by the U.S. nonprofit Institute for the Study of War (ISW), these trials mostly affected Russian regions populated by ethnic minorities, including Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia.

Data from the internet watchdog NetBlocks shows that the internet disruptions in Dagestan lasted for nearly 24 hours.

ℹ️ Note: Metrics show the disruption and restoration of connectivity in Dagestan, #Russia, following what telecoms regulator Roskomnadzor has described as a trial of its capacity to disable access to the foreign internet in a specific region; incident duration ~24 hours pic.twitter.com/7iYtDcVtSG

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) December 7, 2024

During that time, users couldn’t access some foreign and local apps and websites, including YouTube, Google, messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, and some services of Russian internet giant Yandex. These were inaccessible even through virtual private networks (VPNs), according to local media reports.

A Russian internet service provider operating in the North Caucasus region stated on Saturday that it was aware of user complaints about internet access but could not influence the situation.

The goal of the sovereign internet tests, according to the Russian internet and media regulator, Roskomnadzor, is to determine if Russian infrastructure is ready "to maintain the operation of key foreign and domestic services in the event of intentional external interference."

According to the ISW, Roskomnadzor likely deliberately tested sovereign internet regions with Muslim-majority populations and recent histories of instability, to potentially disconnect them from services like Telegram in the event of instability. Russia had previously disrupted access to popular messaging apps in remote regions like Bashkortostan, Dagestan and Sakha during protests and social unrest.

Russia has long aimed to create its own internet, often referred to as the Runet, which would function independently from the rest of the world and comply with Russian laws. Roskomnadzor has previously conducted Runet trials, but according to experts, they were unsuccessful and lasted less time than expected.

However, Russia has stepped up its efforts recently to isolate itself from global technology as many Western tech giants, including Apple, Microsoft and Google, suspended or restricted their services in the country amid its war with Ukraine, urging users and businesses to switch to Russian alternatives.

In September, Russian Forbes reported that the Kremlin had recently invested roughly 59 billion rubles (about $648 million) into developing its technical capabilities to restrict internet traffic and subsequently block Western platforms.

Russian internet authorities also announced over the weekend that they might restrict access in the country to eight foreign hosting service providers, including GoDaddy, Amazon Web Services and HostGator, "for failing to comply with their requirements."

Roskomnadzor claimed that the information hosted on the servers of foreign providers "is not always protected from unauthorized access" and that these companies "jeopardize the confidentiality of user data and business security."

Experts from the Russian digital rights group Roskomsvoboda said that the country is entering a "new phase of online censorship" with the blocking of entire hosting providers. This could lead to many mobile apps and websites becoming inaccessible.