Russia tests ‘sovereign internet’ that can be completely cut off from worldwide web | War Ukraine and Russia

‘RBK’ says it bases itself on sources within the telecommunications sector. The test meant that Russians could no longer use Western services such as Google and Wikipedia, but could only consult Russian sites. In other words, the system functions as a digital ‘Iron Curtain’.

Yet there are indications that not everything went as perfectly as Russia would have you believe. Similarly, some Russian services seem to have been disconnected, including the Russian railways and Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision. Russian telecommunications services Megafon and Beeline also reported problems during the test.

“Continued testing and the development of the ‘sovereign internet’ indicate that the Kremlin is continuing its long-term efforts to isolate Russia from Western influence and the world. This effort is likely to have repercussions beyond the information space,” reports the US think tank Institute for the Study of War.

The organization refers to the Russian economy, which is likely to “suffer significantly” from prolonged internet isolation, partly because so much international trade depends on the global internet.