Imagine trying to watch a YouTube video, only to be met with an endless loading screen. Or visiting a trusted news site, only to find a blank page staring back at you. For millions of Russians, this isn’t a technical glitch—it’s the reality of a deliberate, escalating campaign by the Kremlin to control the internet, block dissenting voices, and isolate Russia’s digital landscape from the global web.

Since the early 2010s, Russia’s government has tightened its grip on the internet, but the pace and intensity of these efforts have surged since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin’s strategy, described by Human Rights Watch researcher Anastasiia Kruope as “death by a thousand cuts,” involves a multi-pronged approach: restrictive laws, advanced surveillance technology, and targeted shutdowns. The result is an internet experience that is increasingly frustrating, heavily monitored, and, for some, outright dangerous.

A History of Control: From Protests to Censorship

The Kremlin’s push to control the internet began in earnest after the 2011-12 protests, sparked by disputed parliamentary elections and Vladimir Putin’s decision to return to the presidency. Social media platforms like Twitter and VK (Russia’s equivalent to Facebook) became tools for organizing anti-government demonstrations, prompting authorities to act. Laws were introduced to block websites, mandate data storage by internet providers, and install equipment enabling traffic control.

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By 2019, Russia passed the “sovereign internet” law, a cornerstone of its digital isolation strategy. This legislation allows the government to disconnect Russia’s internet, known as RuNet, from the global web during vaguely defined “crises.” It also mandated the installation of Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) equipment across internet service providers (ISPs), enabling automatic content filtering and blocking without provider cooperation. As of June 2020, at least 85,246 websites were blocked, including those of independent media, human rights organizations, and opposition figures.

The 2022 invasion of Ukraine marked a turning point. Major platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram were blocked, alongside messaging apps like Signal. YouTube, a vital platform for entertainment and critical voices like the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, faced deliberate throttling last summer, with authorities blaming Google’s failure to maintain hardware in Russia. Meanwhile, VPNs—tools used to bypass restrictions—are increasingly targeted, with nine out of ten VPN services threatened with bans in 2019 for non-compliance with Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media and internet regulator.

Sophisticated Censorship and Infrastructure Control

Russia’s censorship machine has grown more sophisticated. Roskomnadzor now employs advanced traffic analysis to identify and block unwanted content, a process aided by years of refining technology and consolidating control over internet infrastructure. The state telecom giant Rostelecom manages 25% of Russia’s IP addresses, while new licensing costs—raised from 7,500 rubles (USD 90) to 1 million rubles (USD 12,300) in 2023—have reduced the number of independent ISPs, concentrating control in the hands of a few large, Kremlin-friendly companies.

Foreign hosting providers like Cloudflare have reported throttling in Russia, affecting countless websites that rely on their services. Cyber lawyer Sarkis Darbinyan of Roskomsvoboda, a Russian internet freedom group, estimates that half of Russia’s websites still use foreign providers for better quality and cost. However, the Kremlin is pushing businesses toward domestic alternatives, which are easier to monitor and control. This shift risks rendering global websites inaccessible if foreign providers are fully cut off.

The government has also conducted “internet isolation” drills, testing its ability to disconnect RuNet from the global internet. These tests, often conducted under the guise of public safety, have caused disruptions, including failed online banking transactions and outages of state websites and taxi apps. Such disruptions were notably reported during protests and political events, like Navalny’s funeral in February 2024.

Criminalizing Curiosity and Pushing State Alternatives

In a chilling escalation, a new law passed in July 2025 criminalizes searching for “extremist” content online, a term so vague it could encompass anything from LGBTQ+ materials to Navalny’s recently banned memoir. Fines of up to 50,000 rubles (USD 600) or jail time now loom over users who access restricted content. While widespread enforcement is unlikely due to the sheer scale of monitoring 146 million citizens, experts like Stanislav Seleznev of Net Freedom warn that even selective prosecutions could deter users from seeking independent information.

The Kremlin is also promoting MAX, a state-backed “national” messenger developed by VK, as an alternative to platforms like WhatsApp, which faces potential bans. MAX, which integrates messaging, government services, and payments, is preinstalled on all smartphones sold in Russia and shares user data with authorities upon request. Despite its rollout, MAX has struggled to gain traction, with only 2 million users registered by July 2025. Darbinyan argues that forcing adoption requires “shutting down, stifling” Western alternatives, a process complicated by decades of Russians’ reliance on a free and open internet.

A Global Concern: Violations of Digital Rights

Russia’s internet policies violate international obligations to protect freedom of expression, access to information, and privacy, according to Human Rights Watch. The blocking of thousands of websites, including those of independent media and human rights groups, limits access to diverse perspectives. The push for a “sovereign internet” and the use of DPI technology have drawn comparisons to China’s Great Firewall, though Russia’s infrastructure, built on a freer internet, poses technical challenges to full isolation.

Despite these efforts, Russians continue to resist. Tools like the Tor Browser and Snowflake proxies—supported by global volunteers—enable access to blocked content. However, the Kremlin’s increasing adeptness at blocking VPNs and throttling services signals a closing window for digital freedom.

The Road Ahead: A Digital Iron Curtain?

While Russia is “not there yet” in fully isolating its internet, as Darbinyan notes, the Kremlin’s relentless efforts are “bringing it closer.” The combination of legal, technological, and economic measures—bolstered by Western sanctions and the exit of tech companies since 2022—has given authorities unprecedented control over RuNet. Protests, like one outside the State Duma in July 2025 where an activist held a sign reading, “Orwell wrote a dystopia, not an instruction manual,” reflect growing public unease.

For now, the internet in Russia remains a battleground between state control and individual resilience. As the Kremlin tightens its grip, the world watches a digital iron curtain descend, threatening to sever Russia from the global online community.

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