Russia is blocking mobile internet for foreigners and those returning from abroad.

Mobile internet disruptions continue in Russia. They are being temporarily shut down in numerous regions due to drone attacks. This week, authorities began blocking internet and text messages for 24 hours for Russians returning from international roaming, according to reports. Air forceUntil now, similar restrictions were imposed on owners of foreign SIM cards.

When approaching the border, turn off your phone.

"Passengers on trains traveling between Moscow and Kaliningrad can turn off their phones before entering Belarus and turn them on upon arrival in Kaliningrad. Passengers traveling in the opposite direction must turn off their phones before leaving the Kaliningrad Region and turn them on after crossing the Belarusian-Russian border. This will prevent SIM cards from being blocked, as the travel time is no more than 23 hours, allowing travelers to stay within the 72-hour timeframe," the Kaliningrad Region government reported on November 11.

So-called SIM card cooling has been in effect in Russia since November 10. If a card is registered on a Russian network after roaming or has been inactive for more than 72 hours, mobile internet and SMS are blocked for 24 hours unless the user first confirms their identity. Authorities explain this as protection against drones, as some of them use cellular networks.

On the subject: The presentation of the first humanoid robot in Russia was disrupted: it walked onto the stage and fell.

Please confirm that you are not a robot

Not only those crossing the border but also residents of border regions can suddenly lose connection. The card may accidentally connect to a foreign operator's network. To prevent this, select the network manually rather than automatically. You can also disable automatic roaming in your account on the operator's website.

If your card is blocked, your mobile operator will send you a text message informing you of the block. You can unblock it by logging in using the link the operator sends you and verifying that you are not a robot. Another option is to call the call center and verify your identity over the phone.

Megafon and Beeline are already sending similar warnings to customers. However, Beeline's link to unblock the service is not working.

It remains unclear what users of Internet of Things devices should do. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept in which various physical devices are connected to the internet and can exchange data with each other or with users without direct human intervention. Such devices include, for example, smart home appliances, sensors, navigation systems, vehicle telemetry, industrial sensors, and the like.

When it comes to verifying a user's authenticity, the question arises of how this applies to IoT devices. For example, if a car has a SIM card for internet access, how can it be authenticated via a captcha? No one can ask the car or its onboard computer to "press all the traffic lights" or enter characters from a picture. This means that standard verification designed for humans is unsuitable for automated devices that operate without human intervention.

SIM cards are used in many modern devices, not just phones and smartwatches. If such a SIM card is suddenly out of service for 72 hours, it will be blocked. This applies, for example, to smart homes, including security systems, alarms, and smart meters.

SIM cards are used in GPS trackers on cargo, containers, drones, bicycles, and agricultural machinery. Devices with SIM cards are used to monitor oil wells and wind turbines. SIM cards are also found in payment terminals and ATMs, public transportation information boards, and ticket machines. These mobile devices are even used in medicine.

All these devices and the businesses that use them are now at risk.

Similar measures are already in place for foreign SIM cards, both physical and virtual.

The Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media warned of blockages as early as the end of summer 2025.

The blocking has already been confirmed by the Belarusian MTS, the Life operator, and A1.

Kazakh operator Tele2 also announced restrictions. It recommended against switching to roaming plans with other operators, as doing so would appear as a new registration of a foreign SIM card on a Russian network, and the 24-hour block would restart.

Russian telecom operators claim that while their SIM cards are blocked, customers will retain access to Gosuslugi, banking apps, Yandex, VKontakte, and other similar whitelisted services.

These whitelists were introduced in September 2025. They are used when mobile internet is lost due to drone attacks. Authorities claim that access to government websites, marketplaces, taxi services, some messaging apps, and social media remains unaffected. However, these "whitelists" are not clearly defined, and in practice, operators themselves decide what will and will not work. As a result, in some regions, only a subset of the advertised services work, while in others, none work at all.

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Furthermore, starting in 2024, restrictions will be placed on the sale of SIM cards to foreigners, who must submit biometric data, register with Gosuslugi, and obtain a SNILS (Individual Insurance Account Number). The number of numbers that can be registered per foreigner is also limited.

Starting in the fall of 2025, Russians will be prohibited from sharing their SIM cards with third parties. Exceptions are made only for close relatives. Another person can still be given a SIM card to make a call or use the internet for a short time. Violations are subject to a fine of up to 50 rubles for individuals and up to 200 rubles for legal entities.

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