Russian internet blocks may signal impending deployment of conscripts

People with smartphones in Moscow center, March 16, 2026 (Photo: REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova) Preparation for sending Russian conscripts to the front lines is one of the likely reasons for internet blackouts in Russia and plans to ban Telegram, political scientist and strategist Abbas Gallyamov said in an interview with Radio NV on March 24. "These internet blockages may also have a tactical purpose — to prepare for the moment when these conscripts will be sent to Ukraine en masse," he explained."They haven't been used there yet. If they start now, it is obvious that it will cause a colossal wave of discontent." He explained that in the perception of Russian society, contract soldiers chose to accept the risks for big money and "knew what they were getting into," whereas a conscript is "an unfortunate young man who did not intend to fight," and is suddenly "thrown to his death." "If you start doing this, it is better, of course, to immediately cut off all communication flows, dial up the propaganda so that the voices of the opposing camp simply cannot be heard, so that no one hears them, so that the dissatisfied have no opportunities to coordinate with each other," the political scientist said. Since early March 2026, Russian authorities have actively begun "jamming" mobile internet in Moscow and other cities of the aggressor country. In the center of the Russian capital, communication is almost entirely absent, and in other areas, often only "white-listed" government websites work, Russian media reported.Telegram messenger almost completely stopped working in Russia on March 16, as of Downdetector data. Specifically, the mobile app and web version were down.Roskomnadzor earlier stated that the messenger "does not comply with the requirements of Russian legislation," therefore its operation would be consistently restricted. Back in February, communication on Telegram had indeed deteriorated, and true panic broke out on propaganda channels, as Russian invaders on the front lines could no longer communicate via Telegram.Telegram founder Pavel Durov stated that the Russian authorities are thus trying to "force their citizens to switch to a state application created for surveillance and political censorship." He was referring to the so-called national messenger MAX, fully controlled by Russian intelligence services. Baza Telegram channel, close to Russian law enforcement agencies, reported on Feb. 17 that Roskomnadzor decided to permanently block Telegram starting April 1, 2026. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News

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