Russia's 'nyet' to the internet

This BBC documentary explores Russia's growing digital isolation, examining the Kremlin's push to create a sovereign internet infrastructure known as 'Runet.' Once a symbol of digital openness, Russia now faces widespread internet blackouts, particularly affecting major cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg, with mobile internet and apps like Telegram suddenly inaccessible. The shutdowns, justified by authorities as a defense against Ukrainian drones, have instead paralyzed daily life, disrupted businesses, and sparked rare public protests. The episode reveals a deep contradiction: while the government claims to protect national security, its actions have crippled both civilian life and military operations, with Russian troops relying heavily on Telegram for battlefield coordination. The economic cost is significant—$25 million per hour of outage—and the political fallout is mounting, with even pro-Kremlin media and officials criticizing the policy. The episode draws parallels to China and Iran, highlighting Russia’s struggle between ideological control and technological pragmatism. Ultimately, the crackdown has backfired, exposing the regime’s disconnect from reality and prompting internal dissent, with polls suggesting a sharp drop in Putin’s popularity linked to the internet restrictions.