MegaFon and Yota, two of Russia’s major mobile carriers, warned St. Petersburg residents they may experience “difficulties” with mobile internet service during preparations for and the holding of mass events.
Both carriers advised subscribers to use Wi-Fi instead. Screenshots of the notifications were published by Ksenia Sobchak on her Telegram channel Krovavaya Barynya (“Bloody Noblewoman”).
Sberbank also warned customers of possible internet and SMS restrictions from May 5 through May 9, the St. Petersburg-based news outlet Fontanka reported.
Moscow residents had already received similar warnings from their mobile carriers.
Russian media, citing sources, reported that Moscow faces broader restrictions ahead of the May 9 parade: on May 5, 7, and 9, authorities plan to cut off all mobile communications and SMS messaging.
Russian authorities routinely restrict mobile communications under the pretext of “ensuring security.” The country has also moved to block WhatsApp and Telegram, crack down on VPNs, and introduce whitelists of websites and services that remain accessible during mobile internet outages.
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