<\/p>\n
In\u00a0the spring of\u00a02025, mobile Internet providers began disabling service in\u00a0regions across Russia. The authorities argue that the measures are necessary to\u00a0protect civilians and strategically important facilities from Ukrainian drone attacks. The shutdowns are generally localized and brief, lasting from a\u00a0few hours to\u00a0several days, but not around Nizhny Novgorod, where outages have been extensive and prolonged. Some districts in\u00a0this region have been without mobile Internet access for more than two months. In\u00a0fact, by\u00a0August, all mobile services started disappearing in\u00a0some parts of\u00a0the region. Meduza examines this radical experiment and explores how locals have adapted to\u00a0life without data streamed on\u00a0the go.<\/p>\n
Everything, everywhere, all at\u00a0once?<\/strong><\/p>\n Mobile Internet access didn\u2019t\u00a0disappear all at\u00a0once in\u00a0the Nizhny Novgorod region. Residents in\u00a0the industrial city of\u00a0Dzerzhinsk, 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) outside the regional capital, were among the first to\u00a0face service disruptions. The mobile data blackouts that began in\u00a0the spring were mostly overnight and not daily. Many people didn\u2019t\u00a0even notice, and those who did had few complaints, a\u00a0woman in\u00a0town told Meduza. People expressed understanding that \u201cthe jammers are working for our safety.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The Nizhny Novgorod region has no\u00a0shortage of\u00a0potential targets for Ukrainian drones. In\u00a0Dzerzhinsk alone, for example, there\u2019s\u00a0the Sverdlov plant<\/a>, which produces ammunition, and the Korund chemical plant, which manufactures materials for combat airplanes and helicopters. Ukraine has been launching UAVs at\u00a0the region since last year, but attacks became much more frequent<\/a> in\u00a0the spring of\u00a02025.<\/p>\n A\u00a0turning point came on\u00a0the night of\u00a0June 9, 2025, when Ukrainian drones attacked<\/a> the area around the Savasleyka military air base. Officials in\u00a0Kyiv claimed<\/a> to\u00a0have disabled two Russian fighter jets in\u00a0the strikes. Russia\u2019s\u00a0military didn\u2019t\u00a0comment on\u00a0the incident, but mobile Internet service promptly began failing in\u00a0towns surrounding the airfield. In\u00a0Vyksa, Kulebaki, Navashino, and other areas, the blackouts weren\u2019t\u00a0just at\u00a0night, but were around the clock and effectively permanent. A\u00a0woman living in\u00a0the region told Meduza that the service shutdown initially angered the public, but most people \u201cmore or\u00a0less adapted\u201d after a\u00a0couple of\u00a0months.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to\u00a02021 census records, the combined population of\u00a0Vyksa, Navashino, Kulebaki, and adjacent towns is\u00a0roughly 100,000. Despite the large number of\u00a0people affected by\u00a0the mobile data outages, government officials, regional media outlets, and popular Telegram channels were silent for weeks. When the disruptions reached parts of\u00a0Nizhny Novgorod itself, the city\u2019s\u00a0residents wondered if\u00a0temporary precautions tied to\u00a0major holiday celebrations were to\u00a0blame. (Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko visited in\u00a0late June for one of\u00a0the festivities.)\u00a0<\/p>\n Finally, four days after Nizhny Novgorod lost mobile Internet service, the regional government acknowledged<\/a> that it\u00a0was \u201cperiodically reducing\u201d local cellular towers\u2019 signal levels to\u00a0withhold data that enemy drones \u201ccould potentially use for navigation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The first public statement<\/a> from Governor Gleb Nikitin about the situation came on\u00a0July 4 \u2014 almost a\u00a0month after the mobile Internet shutdown in\u00a0Vyksa and roughly a\u00a0week after the service disruptions reached Nizhny Novgorod and Dzerzhinsk. \u201cI\u2019m\u00a0dealing with the mobile outages myself. Yes, it\u2019s\u00a0rough, and it\u00a0really makes it\u00a0hard to\u00a0get work done,\u201d Nikitin wrote on\u00a0social media, prompting skepticism from locals who immediately pointed out that the regional government\u2019s\u00a0office is\u00a0on\u00a0the side of\u00a0the city where mobile data continues to\u00a0work.<\/p>\n \u2018People couldn\u2019t\u00a0call an\u00a0ambulance or\u00a0reach utility services\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking to\u00a0residents in\u00a0Dzerzhinsk and neighboring towns, Meduza heard stories about navigating life without mobile Internet, and, at\u00a0times, without cellular service altogether. \u201cPeople couldn\u2019t\u00a0call an\u00a0ambulance or\u00a0reach utility services. My\u00a0neighbor had a\u00a0pipe burst, and water leaked down several floors, but she couldn\u2019t\u00a0call emergency repair services,\u201d one woman recalled.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mobile service was restored after a\u00a0few days, but connections remain spotty and unreliable, complicating work for many businesses. For example, Meduza spoke to\u00a0a\u00a0remodeling contractor who described losing contact with both clients and family members while on\u00a0job sites. One woman told Meduza that she doesn\u2019t\u00a0even have a\u00a0physical bank card and has always relied on\u00a0her smartphone for shopping. She now uses her home Internet connection to\u00a0order goods online and transfers money to\u00a0friends in\u00a0exchange for cash.<\/p>\n Many stores in\u00a0the Nizhny Novgorod region have fiber-optic service, but wired connections are less common in\u00a0non-chain supermarkets and small retail outlets, which often rely on\u00a0modems with SIM cards for Internet access. Without a\u00a0data connection, it\u2019s\u00a0impossible to\u00a0scan \u201cHonest Sign\u201d QR\u00a0codes on\u00a0products (Russia\u2019s\u00a0labeling system designed to\u00a0combat the illegal circulation of\u00a0goods), and vendors can\u2019t\u00a0sell cigarettes, alcohol, or\u00a0certain beverages and dairy products. Staff at\u00a0offices located inside residential buildings, such as\u00a0Ozon delivery pickup points, have reportedly begun offering cash to\u00a0residents in\u00a0exchange for the passwords to\u00a0their home Wi-Fi networks. On\u00a0the storefronts of\u00a0some shops, businesses now advertise their ability to\u00a0accept QR-code payments even when mobile Internet access fails.<\/p>\n Map of\u00a0Russian regions affected by\u00a0shutdowns<\/strong><\/p>\n In\u00a0towns outside Nizhny Novgorod, many households that relied on\u00a0mobile data have turned to\u00a0fixed-line broadband providers, only to\u00a0discover that local companies lack the resources to\u00a0connect everyone quickly. Sources told Meduza that some providers are so\u00a0overwhelmed and understaffed<\/a> under current conditions that they can\u2019t\u00a0even provide an\u00a0estimated installation date. Home Internet providers in\u00a0Vyksa have advised prospective clients to\u00a0submit an\u00a0application and wait for a\u00a0call \u201cno\u00a0earlier than late September.\u201d On\u00a0social media and job search sites, Meduza found numerous vacancies listed by\u00a0broadband providers.\u00a0<\/p>\n The situation is\u00a0better in\u00a0Nizhny Novgorod, where a\u00a0Meduza correspondent was told by\u00a0a\u00a0broadband provider that installing a\u00a0new home Internet connection would take no\u00a0more than a\u00a0week. In\u00a0some of\u00a0the more remote towns, however, there isn\u2019t\u00a0a\u00a0single residential broadband provider. In\u00a0mid-July, regional authorities published a\u00a0map<\/a> of\u00a0public Internet access points, often found at\u00a0parks, shopping centers, banks, and government offices. In\u00a0Nizhny Novgorod and Dzerzhinsk, people can also log online at\u00a0some \u201csmart\u201d public transportation stops, where mounted smartscreens display route information and allow calls to\u00a0emergency services.\u00a0<\/p>\n In\u00a0reality, public Internet service has proven to\u00a0be\u00a0an\u00a0unreliable stopgap. Governor Nikitin has pledged<\/a> to\u00a0expand the availability of\u00a0public Wi-Fi, but each access point\u2019s\u00a0signal extends no\u00a0more than 20 meters (66 feet), and just 20 people using a\u00a0single node can tank transfer speeds.<\/p>\n Mobile Internet shutdowns have also affected public transportation passengers, making it\u00a0harder for them to\u00a0plan trips and track buses. Locals complain online that public transportation throughout the region has become unreliable as\u00a0well. Multiple people say their last scheduled evening bus never arrives, and mobile Internet shutdowns make it\u00a0impossible to\u00a0order a\u00a0taxi, forcing them to\u00a0walk home.<\/p>\n Chart showing the growth in\u00a0<\/strong>mobile Internet shutdowns in\u00a0Russia<\/p>\n Meduza\u2019s\u00a0sources report that groups of\u00a0teenagers now crowd public Wi-Fi points, but they\u2019re\u00a0not alone. The region\u2019s\u00a0taxi drivers have also been forced to\u00a0cluster at\u00a0these hotspots to\u00a0receive ride requests when their mobile data fails. Two months into the service shutdowns, Yandex Taxi\u2019s\u00a0driver platform added free Wi-Fi locations to\u00a0its Nizhny Novgorod\u00a0map. The difficulties have led to\u00a0fewer drivers on\u00a0the roads, causing ride prices to\u00a0increase two- to\u00a0threefold in\u00a0affected cities, Meduza learned.<\/p>\n Rates haven\u2019t\u00a0changed in\u00a0Vyksa, but only because the town\u2019s\u00a0taxi drivers eschew aggregators that use dynamic pricing and instead operate \u201cin\u00a0a\u00a0gray zone,\u201d negotiating prices directly with clients in\u00a0Telegram chats where they post their prices. Locals told Meduza that the process sometimes results in\u00a0drivers and passengers who can\u2019t\u00a0find each other after agreeing on\u00a0a\u00a0trip. In\u00a0a\u00a0town of\u00a045,000 people, waiting for a\u00a0taxi can take up\u00a0to\u00a0an\u00a0hour.<\/p>\n With children soon returning to\u00a0the classroom, parents have expressed concerns in\u00a0local social media groups that they won\u2019t\u00a0have reliable access to\u00a0electronic grade books or\u00a0chat groups with teachers. \u201cEveryone\u2019s\u00a0already used to\u00a0a\u00a0different life, why go\u00a0back to\u00a0the Stone Age?\u201d one woman in\u00a0Vyksa told Meduza. Parents are even more worried about their children\u2019s\u00a0safety, afraid they\u2019ll\u00a0lose the tracking apps and video calls many use to\u00a0stay in\u00a0contact throughout the day.<\/p>\n \u2018<\/strong>The population gets dumber\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Meduza spoke to\u00a0locals in\u00a0Dzerzhinsk and Nizhny Novgorod who use mobile service from the operators T2 and Yota. One woman said she corresponded with T2 for days, demanding not to\u00a0be\u00a0charged when mobile data was unavailable. T2 insisted that the region\u2019s\u00a0Internet access problems are beyond the company\u2019s\u00a0control, and representatives initially offered her a\u00a0complimentary 10 gigabytes of\u00a0mobile data she couldn\u2019t\u00a0use. In\u00a0the end, thanks to\u00a0the woman\u2019s\u00a0persistence, T2 agreed to\u00a0knock 20 percent off her bill.<\/p>\n Other residents told Meduza that they\u2019ve\u00a0either stopped paying their phone bills or\u00a0removed mobile Internet from their plans. \u201cMy\u00a0phone is\u00a0just a\u00a0dead brick now that only makes calls. I\u00a0only used my\u00a0phone for the Internet,\u201d said another T2 customer. A\u00a0Yota subscriber said he\u00a0quit his mobile data plan not just to\u00a0reduce his bill by\u00a040 percent but also as\u00a0a\u00a0protest. \u201cPeople have no\u00a0way to\u00a0pressure the authorities directly, so\u00a0we\u00a0have to\u00a0pressure the cellular operators. Maybe [these businesses] will have some influence,\u201d the man told Meduza.<\/p>\n Besides the inconvenience and cost of\u00a0mobile Internet outages, some in\u00a0the Nizhny Novgorod region suspect the authorities are lying about the reasons for the shutdowns. Sources told Meduza that Ukrainian drone attacks have continued, fueling fears that the authorities are staging a\u00a0show of\u00a0action rather than taking real safety measures. Locals note that GPS signals aren\u2019t\u00a0being jammed, and communications have remained active near some military installations in\u00a0Dzerzhinsk. Residents told Meduza that they worry the real goal of\u00a0the region\u2019s\u00a0mobile data shutdown is\u00a0censorship. \u201cThey shut off the Internet, less information from opposition channels reaches the public, and [people watch] more television. The population gets dumber,\u201d said one source.<\/p>\n A\u00a0lack of\u00a0transparency has exacerbated concerns. There are no\u00a0publicly available records stating who is\u00a0responsible for shutting off mobile Internet service, how the process works on\u00a0a\u00a0technical level, or\u00a0how long the restrictions will last. People who spoke to\u00a0Meduza said they don\u2019t\u00a0know who to\u00a0blame: the mobile operators, the governor, the Federal Security Service, or\u00a0some other agency. Locals also wonder if\u00a0the dead zones are the work of\u00a0jamming equipment or\u00a0switches flipped in\u00a0an\u00a0office.<\/p>\n According to\u00a0Governor Nikitin, the restrictions will remain in\u00a0effect \u201cas\u00a0long as\u00a0the threat persists.\u201d Many of\u00a0Meduza\u2019s\u00a0sources believe that mobile Internet access is\u00a0a\u00a0thing of\u00a0the past, predicting that the authorities will herd people to\u00a0public Wi-Fi, where users will need to\u00a0authenticate their identities through government portals.\u00a0<\/p>\n Spokespeople for the Nizhny Novgorod regional government, Yandex, and Yota did not respond to\u00a0Meduza\u2019s\u00a0inquiries. We\u00a0were unable to\u00a0reach T2\u2018s\u00a0press service.<\/p>\n As\u00a0of\u00a0mid-August 2025, mobile Internet service remains unavailable in\u00a0Dzerzhinsk, Vyksa, Navashino, and Kulebaki. In\u00a0Nizhny Novgorod, mobile data is\u00a0accessible only in\u00a0the Upper City.<\/p>\n We\u00a0usually do\u00a0the talking at\u00a0fundraisers<\/a>. This time, we\u2019ll\u00a0let our readers speak for us.\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cI\u00a0live in\u00a0Russia and cannot send donations to\u00a0Meduza, which is\u00a0incredibly important to\u00a0me\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0source of\u00a0reliable information. I\u00a0have no\u00a0friends abroad, and I\u00a0ask you, a\u00a0stranger to\u00a0me, to\u00a0support<\/a>\u00a0Meduza, and with it, hope for a\u00a0normal future for Russia. This hope fades with each passing\u00a0day. It\u2019s\u00a0unbearable to\u00a0listen to\u00a0propaganda and encounter people poisoned by\u00a0it, especially children.\u201d \u2014 Svetlana<\/p><\/blockquote>\n