Mobile internet went down in St. Petersburg on the day of Putin's arrival

On September 25, mobile internet service disruptions began in St. Petersburg on the day of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled arrival. Users report that websites and apps are not loading, and only resources on the so-called “whitelists” are working.

 

Residents of St. Petersburg complained of mobile internet problems on Friday, September 25. Vladimir Putin is scheduled to arrive in the city that day to participate in the 12th International Forum of United Cultures. According to Downdetector, the number of complaints about connectivity issues began to rise after 3:00 p.m. Subsequently, the number approached 300.

Users report that they are unable to access websites and apps via mobile internet. At the same time, certain resources included on the “whitelists” compiled by Russian authorities continue to function. There has been no official statement regarding the cause of the mobile internet outages. Meanwhile, no warnings about drone attacks were issued in St. Petersburg or the Leningrad Region on September 25.

The connectivity issues also affected the operation of municipal services. The “City Parking Management Center” reported difficulties with paying for parking via mobile internet. Traffic was also restricted on several streets in the city center that day. Specifically, Universitetskaya Embankment between Dvortsovy Bridge and Kadetskaya Line, Konnogvardeisky Boulevard, and Galernaya Street were closed to traffic.

Traffic jams formed in the central part of St. Petersburg due to the road closures. Traffic congestion was observed on the Obvodny Canal Embankment, Sadovaya Street, Dekabristov Street, and Malaya Morskaya Street. Enhanced security measures were also observed near the Mariinsky Theater’s second stage. A “special event” as part of the forum is scheduled to take place there from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Police officers, Rosgvardia personnel, rescue workers, and medical personnel are on duty near the theater.

Putin’s planned visit to St. Petersburg and his participation in the forum were previously announced by his adviser, Elena Yampolskaya. However, the Russian president’s speech is not listed in the forum’s official program. According to Yampolskaya, 40 countries have sent official delegations to participate in the forum. Among the announced topics of the event are the preservation of “traditional spiritual and moral values,” cultural sovereignty, and the concept of “Russia without Hollywood.”

This is not the first time that mobile internet access has been restricted in St. Petersburg during Putin’s visit. On July 26, when the Russian president visited the city for Navy Day, mobile internet was also shut down. Then, as now, users reported that only “whitelisted” websites were accessible. Officially, the reasons for such restrictions are not always disclosed in each specific case.