Why is Russia shutting off the internet?

In recent months, the Russian government has been restricting access to messaging apps such as Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, and at points, even shutting down internet access completely.

Russian officials insist that curbs on communication are in the interests of public safety. They claim that mobile internet blackouts disorient Ukrainian attack drones, although such attacks have continued even in areas where the internet has been switched off.

How have these blackouts been affecting peoples’ ability to access news, communicate, even find their way around? And how are people reacting to the restrictions on their freedoms?

BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg joins Asma to discuss.

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Photo: Passengers use mobile phones aboard a themed metro train honouring the Russian National Guard in Moscow, Russia, March 31, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Ramil Sitdikov