April 24, 2026

Inside Putin’s Russia: ‘We’re Cut Off from the Outside World’ | BBC News

Apr 24, 2026 | In Putin’s Russia, authorities are increasing repressions on society, including bans on protests and restrictions on how people access the internet.

Access to global messaging apps has been restricted and there are widespread disruptions, even shutdowns of mobile internet.

Russian officials claim that internet curbs are necessary to keep the public safe. They declare the ultimate goal: a “sovereign internet” for a “sovereign Russia”.

As the BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg explains in this special report from Moscow and the city of Vladimir, Russia’s bright future now looks more like its repressive Soviet past.