Mobile communications cut as Murmansk gets ready for war celebration
Russian authorities are turning off mobile communication networks during this week's military parades. There is growing fear for Ukrainian drones.
On May 5, mobile communications were disrupted across the city of Murmansk. As reported by local media, interruptions were observed during military parade rehearsals.
The rehearsals are made ahead of May 9, the day celebrated as Russia's victory day in the Second World War.
“The parade rehearsal apparently affected not only public transport, but also the mobile communications operators. Like in Moscow, network failures are observed in Murmansk,” the local media reported.
Residents of other Russian cities also experienced mobile internet outages. Most complaints came from Moscow, but disruptions were recorded also in the bigger Moscow region, St. Petersburg, and some other regions. Later, federal emergency response authorities issued a message to Muscovites, which stated that the problems were related to ensuring security during the upcoming Victory Day events. Interruptions will occur until 9 May, the authorities confirmed.
On Victory Day, military parades will be held across Russia. In Murmansk, Severomorsk, Kandalaksha, and Petrozavodsk, the military will participate. In Syktyvkar, Republic of Komi, there will be units of law enforcement agencies, students, and young army cadets on the main city square. On display will be special equipment from the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as well as prison authorities.
Communications disruptions cause major problems for citizens and businesses. People cannot order a taxi or find out the location of their children, and small shops cannot process payments through terminals. The Russian State Duma argues that disconnecting the internet is a reasonable precaution, and that security "requires priority over everyday comfort."
The security measures are made as Ukrainian drones target military installations across major parts of European Russia.
On May 4, four Ukrainian drones were shot down in the Murmansk region, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence. Such attacks on the Kola Peninsula are not occurring for the first time. In August and September 2024, there were at least two attacks on the Olenya military airport. During one of the attacks, a local resident recorded a video of one of the drones being shot down just a few hundred metres from the strategically important airbase.
