Russia says it will cut off parts of the country's internet during its Victory Day celebrations

Russia volition restrict net entree crossed respective regions, including Moscow, during its May 9 Victory Day celebrations this year, arsenic the Kremlin imposes ever-tighter controls implicit its population.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters connected Wednesday that mobile net restrictions would beryllium successful spot successful respective regions portion overseas leaders are successful Moscow for the celebrations marking the surrender of Nazi Germany successful World War II.

Peskov said the restrictions are due to the fact that Russia has "dangerous neighbors."

"These are not disruptions, but restrictions for evident reasons," helium said. "We privation the glorious Victory Day to beryllium celebrated astatine the due level."

Russian autarkic media outlet Meduza reported that restrictions person already been enactment successful spot successful immoderate areas, with Moscow residents experiencing telephone and net entree issues since May 5.

Victory Day celebrations are a large propaganda lawsuit for Russia's President Vladimir Putin. World leaders, including China's Xi Jinping and Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, volition be this year's event.

Putin has besides called for a three-day cease-fire with Ukraine implicit the Victory Day weekend, which Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected, describing the connection arsenic a "stunt."

In the run-up to May 9, Ukraine has intensified its drone onslaught run against Russia, hitting Moscow with consecutive nights of attacks that closed its planetary airports.

Russia's relation of circuit operators said successful a statement connected Wednesday that astatine slightest 350 flights were affected by the menace of drone strikes.

Zelenskyy suggested that those travelling to the state whitethorn not beryllium safe, remarking that "our presumption is precise elemental for each countries travelling to Russia connected May 9: We cannot beryllium held liable for what happens connected the territory of the Russian Federation."

Cuts to net access

In the aftermath of its 2022 penetration of Ukraine, Russia imposed sweeping internet restrictions connected its population.

As portion of its "sovereign internet" project, and successful a bid to much tightly show online spaces and entree to information, Russia has restricted entree to the planetary internet, arsenic good arsenic VPN services utilized to circumvent home controls.

Further restrictions person already been imposed successful areas of Russia targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes, with Russian outlet Kommersant reporting that restrictions were enactment successful spot successful the metropolis of Rostov connected April 25.

Kommersant suggested that this was related to concerns that mobile net networks could beryllium utilized to nonstop drone attacks.

"Russian authorities volition apt proceed disconnecting ample areas of Russia from mobile net networks during Ukrainian long-range strikes," the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for the Study of War wrote connected Wednesday.

It said that it would bash this "to proceed investigating the Sovereign Internet strategy and, secondarily, forestall Russians from instantly circulating reports, imagery, and footage of the results of these Ukrainian strikes."