In the temporarily occupied Crimea, mobile communications and Internet access are facing ongoing restrictions, including outages and artificial traffic delays, which have become a systematic issue. This information comes from the Center for National Resistance after examining events on the peninsula.
The head of the region, Sergei Aksyonov, has attributed these restrictions to security concerns and the need to confront threats during the so-called “special military operation.”
The Center for National Resistance states that these digital outages are evolving from temporary measures into a long-term governance component. The underlying intent of these decisions is not to enhance security but to increase control over the population. Under the guise of combating hostile propaganda, a system is developing where access to communications can be restricted at any time, leading to uncertainty and showing the authorities’ readiness to limit essential communication channels unilaterally.
The report indicates that Russian security agencies are looking to extend outage practices during critical times, such as during shelling, significant events, or instances of public dissent. Mobile Internet is perceived as a threat due to its potential for enabling quick self-organization among the public, documenting abuses, and disseminating unofficial information.
Practically, these restrictions reduce the effectiveness of emergency services, impede access to healthcare and financial services, and limit independent information sources, greatly affecting residents’ daily lives and the regional economy. In occupied territories, Internet outages have become tools of repressive and preventive policies.
Previous examples have been documented by CNS in Lysychansk, Severodonetsk, and Rubizhne, where connections were cut not for technical reasons, but as part of an information blockade.
Digital restrictions are now an integral part of the occupying authorities’ ideology, with security rhetoric serving as a cover for systematic control over the information space, pushing Crimea’s population into a state of managed isolation and dependence on official narratives.
These restrictions on Internet access have prompted concern from the international community and human rights advocates who are monitoring the situation in regard to basic human rights in the region.
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