Moscow Internet Blackouts and State-Approved Web Access

Russian authorities are restricting internet access in Moscow during ongoing mobile network disruptions by allowing connectivity only to a government-approved whitelist of domestic websites and services. Reporting indicates the system keeps selected Russian platforms—such as government sites, telecom services, marketplaces, and transport or delivery apps—available while broader internet access is blocked, reportedly using deep packet inspection (DPI) and infrastructure controls that require traffic to stay within Russia and prevent users from masking IP addresses. Officials have framed the outages and restrictions as protective measures against Ukrainian drone attacks, while similar controls are reportedly being prepared or used in other Russian cities including St. Petersburg.

The disruptions are also producing visible social and economic effects in Moscow, where residents and businesses are struggling with failed QR-code payments, degraded app-based services, and loss of normal mobile connectivity. One account describes a broader regression to offline workarounds, including increased demand for walkie-talkies, pagers, and paper maps, as GPS-dependent and internet-based services become unreliable. A separate report on Kazakhstan's proposed social media monitoring regime concerns a different country and policy process and does not describe the same Moscow outage and whitelist event.