<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, Russian telecom operators began<\/a> rolling out a\u00a0so-called \u201ccooling-off period\u201d for all foreign SIM cards \u2014 a\u00a024-hour blackout on\u00a0mobile Internet meant to\u00a0curb drone activity near the country\u2019s borders. But by\u00a0mid-month, it\u00a0was clear the system was in\u00a0shambles: most operators couldn\u2019t lift the block once it\u00a0was triggered, and the restrictions ended up\u00a0affecting not just mobile data but text messaging as\u00a0well. In\u00a0the name of\u00a0security, the Russian authorities had effectively cut off foreign tourists from mobile Internet \u2014 and made life harder for some of\u00a0their own citizens. Here\u2019s what we\u00a0know.<\/p>\n The idea of\u00a0a\u00a0\u201ccooling-off period\u201d for SIM cards first surfaced in\u00a0early August 2025, when Russia\u2019s Digital Development Ministry announced that it\u00a0was considering the measure. Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev said<\/a> the restriction was intended to\u00a0\u201ccombat SIM cards used in\u00a0drones.\u201d According to\u00a0him, mobile Internet access through foreign SIM cards would be\u00a0unavailable for at\u00a0least five hours after entering Russian territory. The exact length of\u00a0the \u201ccooling-off period,\u201d he\u00a0added, was still under discussion.<\/p>\n A\u00a0source who spoke to\u00a0Vedomosti explained<\/a> that to\u00a0regain Internet access, a\u00a0foreign SIM card holder would have to\u00a0complete a\u00a0CAPTCHA on\u00a0a\u00a0special website. Drones, the source noted, wouldn\u2019t be\u00a0able to\u00a0pass such verification. Still, Igor Bederov, head of\u00a0information and analytical research at\u00a0T.Hunter, told the outlet that the new restrictions wouldn\u2019t fully eliminate the threat of\u00a0drone attacks, since some drones could use Russian SIM cards or\u00a0connect via other channels, including satellites.<\/p>\n Our only hope is\u00a0you.\u00a0Support Meduza<\/a>\u00a0before it\u2019s too late.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Digital Development Ministry did not say when the \u201ccooling-off period\u201d would take effect. But on\u00a0October 6, several<\/a> Belarusian telecom providers<\/a> warned subscribers roaming in\u00a0Russia about possible service disruptions. They later clarified <\/a>that the block would last 24 hours and affect not only mobile Internet but also text messaging.<\/p>\n That same day, several Telegram channels reported<\/a> complaints from users who were unable to\u00a0access mobile Internet with foreign SIM cards, including eSIMs. Voice calls and regular SMS, however, still appeared to\u00a0work. The channel Mobile Review claimed<\/a> \u2014 without citing a\u00a0source \u2014 that the new restriction had actually been in\u00a0place for a\u00a0week already in\u00a0regions near the Ukrainian border.<\/p>\n Mapping Russia\u2019s Internet blackouts The Russian authorities keep shutting down mobile Internet. Here\u2019s where it happens most, and how the outages are spreading.<\/a>Mapping Russia\u2019s Internet blackouts The Russian authorities keep shutting down mobile Internet. Here\u2019s where it happens most, and how the outages are spreading.<\/a><\/p>\n The Insider also noted<\/a> some unusual technical aspects of\u00a0the system. The \u201ccooling-off period,\u201d for example, could reportedly activate even when crossing borders between Russian regions. The monitoring project Na\u00a0svyazi, which collects and verifies user reports of\u00a0Internet outages, said<\/a> that mobile Internet access would again be\u00a0blocked if\u00a0a\u00a0device remained inactive for more than three days. The 24-hour timer also reset whenever the device switched to\u00a0a\u00a0different network \u2014 a\u00a0common occurrence while roaming.<\/p>\n On\u00a0October 14, Kommersant reported that Russian mobile operators were struggling to\u00a0implement the new restrictions. According to<\/a> one source, users were still unable to\u00a0access mobile Internet even after their \u201ccooling-off\u201d period had expired \u2014 and SMS messages weren\u2019t being delivered either.<\/p>\n Of\u00a0Russia\u2019s four major telecom providers, only T2 managed to\u00a0set the 24-hour timer, a\u00a0telecom insider told Kommersant. Even so, T2 users also experienced SMS disruptions. \u201cOther operators didn\u2019t have the technical capability to\u00a0limit the block to\u00a0a\u00a0single day,\u201d the source said, \u201cso\u00a0the data and SMS restrictions lasted for the entire time the foreign SIM card remained in\u00a0Russia.\u201d He\u00a0estimated that it\u00a0would take at\u00a0least three to\u00a0four weeks to\u00a0get the system running properly.<\/p>\n Representatives of\u00a0T2, MTS, MegaFon, and Beeline declined to\u00a0comment on\u00a0the issues. The Digital Development Ministry has also remained silent. In\u00a0fact, it\u00a0hasn\u2019t even confirmed that the \u201ccooling-off period\u201d for foreign SIM cards is\u00a0officially in\u00a0effect.<\/p>\n \u2018We\u00a0have the power here, don\u2019t we?\u2019 Anger over WhatsApp and Telegram call bans sparks rare protests in\u00a0multiple Russian cities<\/a>\u2018We\u00a0have the power here, don\u2019t we?\u2019 Anger over WhatsApp and Telegram call bans sparks rare protests in\u00a0multiple Russian cities<\/a><\/p>\n While the mobile Internet disruptions have mostly affected foreign visitors, the SMS delivery failures have also hit some Russians \u2014 particularly those who use bank cards issued abroad. Many opened foreign accounts to\u00a0pay for international online services, but now they can\u2019t receive text notifications such as\u00a0verification codes from their banks.<\/p>\n For tourists traveling to\u00a0Russia, the situation is\u00a0even more complicated. To\u00a0get online, they need a\u00a0Russian SIM card \u2014 something that has become nearly impossible to\u00a0obtain in\u00a02025. Foreigners must first create a\u00a0verified account on\u00a0the Russian government\u2019s public services portal Gosuslugi, submit a\u00a0notarized translation of\u00a0their passport, obtain a\u00a0SNILS (similar to\u00a0a\u00a0social security number), provide biometric data, and then register it\u00a0through a\u00a0bank.<\/p>\n The entire process can take several days, and only after completing it\u00a0can a\u00a0mobile carrier sign a\u00a0service contract. The requirements have proven so\u00a0burdensome that, in\u00a0early October, telecom providers reportedly asked<\/a> the Digital Development Ministry to\u00a0simplify the rules.<\/p>\n Even then, a\u00a0Russian SIM card is\u00a0no\u00a0guarantee of\u00a0Internet access. Since the summer, authorities across multiple regions have periodically shut down mobile Internet in\u00a0an\u00a0effort to\u00a0counter Ukrainian drone attacks. During these blackouts, only websites included on\u00a0so-called \u201cwhitelists<\/a>\u201d \u2014 already being tested<\/a> in\u00a0many regions \u2014 remain accessible.<\/p>\n \u2018The whole country will feel it\u00a0soon\u2019 Meduza\u2019s Russian readers on\u00a0life inside the Kremlin-approved Internet<\/a>\u2018The whole country will feel it\u00a0soon\u2019 Meduza\u2019s Russian readers on\u00a0life inside the Kremlin-approved Internet<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Earlier this month, Russian telecom operators began rolling out a\u00a0so-called \u201ccooling-off period\u201d for all foreign SIM cards \u2014…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":316931,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[712,158,67,132,68,1796,1791,1794,1783,1776,1788,1778,1789,1795,1784,1772,1779,1773,1781,1782,1774,1777,1775,1793,1787,1780,1792,1790,1786,1785],"class_list":{"0":"post-316930","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-internet","8":"tag-internet","9":"tag-technology","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us","13":"tag-1796","14":"tag-1791","15":"tag-1794","16":"tag-1783","17":"tag-1776","18":"tag-1788","19":"tag-1778","20":"tag-1789","21":"tag-1795","22":"tag-1784","23":"tag-1772","24":"tag-1779","25":"tag-1773","26":"tag-1781","27":"tag-1782","28":"tag-1774","29":"tag-1777","30":"tag-1775","31":"tag-1793","32":"tag-1787","33":"tag-1780","34":"tag-1792","35":"tag-1790","36":"tag-1786","37":"tag-1785"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115402966504706005","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=316930"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316930\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/316931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=316930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=316930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=316930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}