Eighty years after Winston Churchill warned that an Iron Curtain had fallen across Europe, critics say the Kremlin is erecting a new one — online.

Authorities in Russia are rolling out a sweeping system designed to restrict internet access to government-approved services, potentially walling off millions of users from the wider web. Officials insist the plan will protect “digital sovereignty”. Analysts say it marks one of the most aggressive attempts yet to control information inside the country.

The initiative reflects the Kremlin’s growing determination to isolate Russia’s digital space as geopolitical tensions with the West intensify.

Whitelist internet: only approved sites allowed

Lawmakers have confirmed that a nationwide “whitelist” model is being introduced, allowing traffic only to authorised websites, apps and network routes.

Andrei Svintsov, deputy chairman of the State Duma’s information policy committee, said essential services — including banking platforms, online marketplaces, mobile networks and email providers — will be included on the approved list.

The infrastructure could be fully operational within weeks. Authorities are mapping network routes across the country in advance to avoid major technical failures when the restrictions are switched on.

But monitoring groups say the system is already causing disruption during testing.

Outages spread as system rolls out

According to the monitoring project Na Svyazi, elements of the system have already been activated across dozens of regions.

Reports suggest mobile internet shutdowns have been recorded in at least 68 regions, while access restrictions have appeared in 71 areas. Even the capital, Moscow, has experienced partial outages, with some users able to reach only approved websites.

Telecom sources cited by Kommersant said operators were ordered “from above” to throttle connectivity as part of the rollout.

Economic costs mount as censorship expands

The restrictions are already hitting the economy. Telecom insiders estimate that just five days of disruptions around Moscow caused losses of up to five billion roubles.

Researchers at Top10VPN say Russia lost roughly one trillion roubles in 2025 due to shutdowns, throttling and social media bans.

Regulators at Roskomnadzor are reportedly planning the next phase: AI-powered traffic filtering capable of blocking content in real time.

If fully implemented, critics warn, Russia’s digital Iron Curtain could become one of the most sophisticated information control systems in the world.

Russia is building a new “Iron Curtain” – a digital one

Residents of Moscow are reverting to analogue tools — walkie-talkies, pagers and paper maps — after sweeping internet restrictions linked to new powers granted by Vladimir Putin.

Telecom sources told Russian newspaper Kommersant that authorities ordered mobile operators to throttle internet access across the capital. The blackout began days after new legislation empowered the Federal Security Service (FSB) to shut down telecom services nationwide.

The move marks a dramatic escalation in state control over Russia’s digital infrastructure — and a sudden shock for ordinary citizens who rely on mobile networks for payments, transport and communication.

Analog survival: radios, pagers and paper

With connectivity failing, demand for old-school communication tools has surged. Russia’s largest retailer, Wildberries, reported a sharp spike in purchases of walkie-talkies and landline phones.

Sales of pagers jumped 73%, while paper maps and printed city guides to Moscow nearly tripled as residents sought ways to navigate the city without GPS.

Independent outlet Meduza reported outages across several major cities shortly after the law came into force in early March.

Officials say the restrictions are legal. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the shutdowns were being carried out “in strict accordance with current legislation”.

A controlled internet emerges

Even as access disappears for many services, authorities are allowing limited connectivity through a “whitelist” system. Government platforms and selected domestic services remain accessible.

State-backed networks such as VKontakte and Odnoklassniki, the official messaging platform MAX and state media including RIA Novosti remain reachable.

For ordinary Russians, however, the outages have created immediate anxiety. One Moscow resident told Meduza she panicked after losing internet access and struggling to find functioning card payment systems.

Without messaging apps, she said, even basic contact with family became uncertain. “If something happened,” she explained, “I wouldn’t be able to tell my loved ones quickly.”

The result is a society abruptly pushed backward — where the digital age is being replaced, at least temporarily, with radios, paper maps and silence.

Russians use walkie-talkies and paper maps after Putin turns off internet