[51065] Widespread mobile internet disruptions in Moscow and St. Petersburg ahead of Victory Day

Widespread mobile internet disruptions in Moscow and St. Petersburg

Starting this morning (May 5, 2026), residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg are reporting significant difficulties and even a complete collapse of the mobile internet network. According to Цензор.НЕТ, a media outlet identified with a pro-Ukrainian stance, services are unavailable even within what are known as "white lists" of approved websites, and the DownDetector service confirmed the existence of widespread malfunctions at major providers such as MTS, T2, Beeline, Yota, and Gazprombank Mobile.

Various sources identified with Ukraine indicate that this is a deliberate move by the Russian authorities ahead of the "Victory Day" celebrations on May 9. Андрющенко Time reported that telecommunications operators began sending SMS messages to citizens in advance, and that the actual disconnection began at midnight. Диванно-штурмова бригада noted that even standard text messaging services are experiencing difficulties as a result of the move.

The reactions among Ukrainian Telegram channels were mostly mocking. The Лачен пише channel described the situation as "Russians crying about the internet disconnection," while the Український Наступ channel quoted local residents in this context. The Харківський напрямок channel estimated that this is a trend expected to expand, and noted that it is possible the city of Belgorod will also face similar disconnections soon.

Despite the authorities' attempts to limit access to information in the urban centers, security incidents were also reported simultaneously. Андрющенко Time emphasized that the disconnection in the major cities "did not prevent the strike on the oil facility in Kirishi," thereby mocking the effectiveness of the Kremlin's security measures.