Russia limits mobile internet ahead of scaled-back WW2 victory parade

MOSCOW, May 5 (Reuters) – Russia cut off mobile internet services to many customers in Moscow on Tuesday ahead of the May 9 annual parade celebrating victory over Nazi Germany that has been scaled back due to the threat of drone attacks from Ukraine, Reuters reporters said.

Russia has this year cracked down on the internet, blocking mobile services and forcing millions to turn to VPNs as part of what President Vladimir Putin’s opponents said was an attempt to shore up domestic control after four years of war.

The Kremlin said the limits were introduced to ensure security amid a heightened risk of Ukrainian drone attacks.

Six Reuters reporters in Moscow said that mobile internet did not work on their telephones on Tuesday in different parts of the capital. Telephone calls could still be made from many areas of Moscow, they said.

Russian mobile phone operators said there could be problems with mobile internet due to the need to ensure security over coming days. Sberbank, Russia’s biggest bank, also cautioned that there could be issues with mobile internet and messaging.

The taxi unit of Russia’s largest internet company, Yandex, said there could be problems with ordering taxis online due to limits on the internet.

Four years after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the two sides are engaged in the biggest drone war ever fought. Their long-range drones are targeting everything from command points to energy infrastructure, far behind the “death zones” created by short-range drones along the front lines.

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

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