When Russians found themselves unable to use venting machines, book taxis or even withdraw cash from some ATMs on May 5, the Digital Development Ministry said it was for their own good. Targeted mobile internet shutdowns made it possible to reduce the accuracy of Ukrainian UAV guidance systems, the ministry said. The connection was restored during the day, but restrictions on mobile internet and SMS will remain in place until May 9 — Victory Day.

The shutdowns began even earlier in the month, affecting not only mobile internet but also home broadband, and covered a wider geographic area. According to Amnezia Pulse, a service that monitors internet shutdowns and traffic slowdowns, more than 2,000 complaints about problems accessing home internet were filed from Moscow and the Moscow region on May 2.

At the time, this was blamed on power supply problems at the Moscow Intercity Telephone Station, which hosts the largest internet traffic exchange point. Judging by the exchange point’s own data, traffic on May 2 was no different from traffic the day before or after. Brief voltage spikes may have had no effect on the traffic of major providers, while providers using older equipment most likely took longer to recover. But against the backdrop of mobile internet restrictions in Moscow and St. Petersburg, it........

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