“Not often, but it does happen”: Putin comments on Russia’s sweeping internet shutdowns for the first time

Vladimir Putin, speaking at a government meeting on Thursday, finally addressed the sweeping shutdowns of mobile internet in Russia and signaled that there will be no easing, according to a report by the state-controlled news agency TASS. Putin acknowledged that Russians are experiencing disruptions, saying: “Not often, but unfortunately it does happen.”

In early March, large-scale outages affected Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other major cities across Russia. At that time, the restrictions were also accompanied by disruptions to Telegram and other services. The restrictions drew criticism even from pro-government circles, including pro-war bloggers and media outlets loyal to the Kremlin.

Public frustration was one factor behind a decline in the Russian authorities’ approval ratings. Bloomberg reported in mid-April that the Kremlin might reconsider its position on internet restrictions amid concern they could hurt Putin’s domestic standing. His latest remarks, however, suggest the policy of tight control will remain in place.

According to Putin, the restrictions are most often linked to the prevention of terrorist attacks, and “ensuring people’s safety will always be the priority.” He added that citizens should at least be informed of the shutdowns after the fact, although advance warnings are not always possible because, he claimed, they could interfere with the work of law enforcement and security services, as “the criminals are also listening.”

He also said there is a need to create a mechanism to ensure the uninterrupted operation of “life-supporting services” during mobile internet shutdowns. According to Putin, access to Russia’s state services portal, payment systems, and doctor appointment services should remain available even under restrictions. He said the technological capabilities to provide for this already exist.

In effect, this means further development of the so-called “whitelist” system — a collection of websites and services pre-approved by the state that are allowed to continue operating when a shutdown is in effect. Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said earlier that services for monitoring glucose levels for diabetes patients were to be included on such lists. As The Insider reported last year, internet shutdowns have prevented parents of children with diabetes from remotely monitoring blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of serious complications.

Those services were later added to the list, but with one caveat: CareLink systems made by Medtronic — the leading supplier of insulin pumps on the Russian market — were not included.