Internet service was cut off for St. Petersburg residents due to the prime minister's visit

In St. Petersburg, Russia, widespread mobile internet outages have been reported for the second day in a row, with local residents complaining en masse. 

According to the specialized service Downdetector, as of the evening of June 18, the number of complaints per day exceeded 2,900, with users noting that in the city center, only websites on the so-called “white list” are accessible, and in some places, all connectivity has been lost. The expected cause of the latest internet outages is said to be the visit of high-ranking officials—Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin—which is accompanied by road closures.

Due to the regular internet outages, city authorities had officially recommended a few days earlier, on June 14, that residents and tourists use paper maps and guidebooks, which are available for free at tourist offices. The previous prolonged internet shutdown in St. Petersburg took place from June 3 to 6 during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which was attended by Vladimir Putin. Despite the total internet blackout implemented for the dictator’s security, Ukrainian drones successfully struck the “St. Petersburg Oil Terminal,” located 17 kilometers from the event venue.

Source: The Moscow Times.

Against the backdrop of internet outages, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin stated that radio remains “the most convenient, reliable, and accessible” source of communication for citizens. 

As a reminder, mobile internet service was disrupted in St. Petersburg following the drone attack.