Latest news with #Katya
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Russia counters Ukrainian drones by turning off Russians' mobile Internet
Katya's phone suddenly refused to provide the basics she needed to drive home to Moscow from St. Petersburg. She, her partner and countless others were unable to go online, cut off from their apps for things such as maps, banking, paying road tolls and buying fuel. There was no warning, no hint how widespread the outage was, no clue how long it would last – but it wasn't a surprise, either. Russia's mobile Internet networks now have frequent blackouts because of the war with Ukraine. Since last month, authorities have shut those networks down every day in various parts of the country, in unpredictable patterns, for hours at a time. The goal is to try to thwart attacks by Ukrainian drones that analysts say have used mobile networks for navigation. It is a big disruption in a country where smartphones provide the only online access for millions of people. The government regularly touts an array of online services, including filing tax returns and applying for jobs, and President Vladimir Putin claimed this year that Russia was 'a step ahead of many other nations'. Even so, 'they can turn off the Internet,' said Katya, 32. She described how the government had encouraged reliance on apps and web services – and then exercised control over Internet access – as a 'digital gulag'. Like others interviewed, she asked to be identified only by her first name out of fear for her safety. She and her partner made it home from their recent weekend getaway, after struggling with a partially downloaded map and phoning her partner's mother to top up their debit card to pay for gas. The Russian government has a record of restricting online freedoms, including trying to block the country's most popular messaging app and throttling YouTube. But the mobile Internet shutdowns are the collateral damage of war, a response to Ukraine's spectacular drone attacks on long-range bombers at Russian bases June 1. Cellphones use parallel mobile networks, one for calls and another for the data used by phone apps – or drones. The Internet blackouts shut down the data network, but calls still go through. Wireless connections, which do not depend on mobile networks, can allow phones to stay online. Day-to-day orders to shut down the mobile Internet come from regional officials responding to reported drone intrusions, rather than from Moscow, according to documents viewed by The New York Times. The Russian communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'The Kremlin has been asking regional authorities to put up a defence against the drones – there's nothing else they can do but turn the Internet off,' said Mikhail Klimarev, head of the Internet Protection Society, an exiled Russian digital rights group. The threat of drones also regularly shuts down Russian airports for hours. About 300 flights were cancelled in Moscow in one weekend alone. By late this month, the cellular Internet was down every day, for at least a few hours, in some part of at least 73 of Russia's 83 regions, according to a tally by Na Svyazi, a group of volunteers living abroad that monitors Internet access in Russia. Yelena, who lives in Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia, said that her daughter commuted to and from school by bus, paying her way with a transport card, but that the system didn't work during an outage. A few times, Yelena said, she has had to wire the fare to the bus driver's phone. Russians first experienced such shutdowns in the early months of the war, but they were limited to the areas bordering Ukraine. This year, authorities switched off mobile Internet in Moscow for a few days before the annual Victory Day parade in May, a major event for Putin, who was hosting several world leaders, including China's leader, Xi Jinping. That outage exposed Muscovites' reliance on apps for contactless payments, taxis, car sharing, food delivery and shopping, but discontent was fairly muted. 'The regions used to be wary of potential public repercussions and had not resorted to such shutdowns,' Sarkis Darbinian, a Russian lawyer and Internet expert who lives in exile, told the Times. The lack of protests in Moscow gave regional authorities the signal that 'you can just turn the Internet off' without causing a backlash, he said. After the Ukrainian attacks June 1, the shutdowns began to afflict the vast breadth of the country. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, blamed the inconveniences around the Victory Day parade on 'a dangerous neighbour', an apparent reference to Ukraine. When he was pressed recently about more widespread shutdowns, he said, 'Everything that's linked to ensuring public safety is justified.' Internet blackouts have hit e-commerce companies and consumers most directly, although the scale of the economic impact is unclear. They have also hampered businesses not usually associated with phone apps. In the northwestern city of Pskov, a municipally owned heating company complained last month that it had not been able to finish repairs on a pipeline on time because of the outages. The Internet shutdowns have become so frequent and widespread that they have given rise to online memes and songs. In Rostov-on-Don, Pavel Osipyan, a media personality, released a music video making light of the inconveniences. 'How can you tell you're from Rostov without saying it?' he rapped. 'Show me one bar for the Internet.' In Izhevsk, a city known for weapons production about 800 miles from Ukraine, mobile Internet has often been turned off since June 1. Arina, 23, said residents there had been calling emergency services, looking for an explanation, only to be told that it was a safety measure and that they should be patient. The precautions do not always work. In the middle of one shutdown, Ukrainian drones hit a factory in Izhevsk that makes surface-to-air missiles, killing three people and injuring scores more. No air-raid alert was issued while mobile Internet was down, leaving locals unsure what was happening. Another day, Arina was at home when she said she heard an air-raid siren. She had no idea what was going on: No one could post from the scene. 'The government keeps mum or says everything is fine, but everyone can see things are not fine,' she said. Yekaterina Mizulina, head of the pro-Kremlin League for a Safe Internet, asked on social media this month why 'the Internet is being throttled, and the drones keep coming and coming.' Many people affected by the blackouts speak of resignation. Neighbors and friends are annoyed but seem to be taking the disruptions as a new norm. In the courthouses where Sofia, a law student from the southern city of Krasnodar, spends her afternoons, attorneys, their clients and families often chat about the outages, but their reaction tends to be that the shutdowns are just one more burden. 'They just laugh it off,' she said. Regions from Tula in the southwest to Omsk in Siberia have said recently that they will introduce public wireless Internet to allow residents to stay online when mobile networks go down. Shutdowns have reached the easternmost parts of Russia, which have not been hit by drones, prompting some to question the official rationale. Artyom, a remote technology worker from Khabarovsk, 15 miles from the Chinese border, expressed concern that the blackouts could be a part of the Kremlin's strategy to restrict information. He called it 'a very convenient lie' to blame the drone threat. 'Drones don't make it to Khabarovsk,' he said. 'I don't see any connection here.' – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Moscow counters Ukrainian drones by turning off Russians' mobile internet
Katya's phone suddenly refused to provide the basics she needed to drive home to Moscow from St. Petersburg. She, her partner and countless others were unable to go online, cut off from their apps for things such as maps, banking, paying road tolls and buying fuel. There was no warning, no hint how widespread the outage was, no clue how long it would last - but it wasn't a surprise, either. Russia's mobile internet networks now have frequent blackouts because of the war with Ukraine. Since last month, authorities have shut those networks down every day in various parts of the country, in unpredictable patterns, for hours at a time. The goal is to try to thwart attacks by Ukrainian drones that use mobile connections for navigation. It is a big disruption in a country where smartphones provide the only online access for millions of people. The govt regularly touts an array of online services, including filing tax returns and applying for jobs, and President Putin claimed this year that Russia was "a step ahead of many other nations. " Even so, "they can turn off the internet," said Katya. She described how the govt had encouraged reliance on apps and web services - and then exercised control over internet access - as a "digital gulag". Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villa Prices in Dubai Might Be Lower Than You Think! Villa for sale in Dubai | Search Ads Learn More Undo by Taboola by Taboola The Russian govt has a record of restricting online freedoms. But the mobile internet shutdowns are the collateral damage of war, a response to Ukraine's spectacular drone attacks on long-range bombers at Russian bases June 1. Day-to-day orders to shut down the mobile internet come from regional officials responding to reported drone intrusions, rather than from Moscow. "The Kremlin has been asking regional authorities to put up a defence against the drones - there's nothing else they can do but turn the internet off," said Mikhail Klimarev, head of the Internet Protection Society, an exiled Russian digital rights group. This year, authorities switched off mobile internet in Moscow for a few days before the annual Victory Day parade in May, a major event for Putin, who was hosting several world leaders. That outage exposed Muscovites' reliance on apps for contactless payments, taxis, food delivery and shopping, but discontent was fairly muted. The lack of protests gave regional authorities the signal that "you can just turn the internet off" without causing a backlash, a lawyer said. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, "Everything that's linked to ensuring public safety is justified." nyt
New York Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Russia Counters Ukrainian Drones by Turning Off Russians' Mobile Internet
Katya's phone suddenly refused to provide the basics she needed to drive home to Moscow from St. Petersburg. She, her partner and countless others were unable to go online, cut off from their apps for things like maps, banking, paying road tolls and buying fuel. There was no warning, no hint how widespread the outage was, no clue how long it would last — but it wasn't a surprise, either. Russia's mobile internet networks now have frequent blackouts because of the war with Ukraine. Since last month, the authorities have shut those networks down every day in various parts of the country, in unpredictable patterns, for hours at a time. The goals is to try to thwart attacks by Ukrainian drones that use mobile connections for navigation. It is a big disruption in a country where smartphones provide the only online access for millions of people. The government regularly touts an array of online services, like filing tax returns and applying for jobs, and President Vladimir V. Putin claimed this year that Russia was 'a step ahead of many other nations.' Even so, 'they can turn off the internet,' said Katya, 32. She described how the government had encouraged reliance on apps and web services — and then exercised control over internet access — as a 'digital gulag.' Like others interviewed, she asked to be identified only by her first name out of fear for her safety. She and her partner made it home from their recent weekend getaway, after struggling with a partially downloaded map and phoning her partner's mother to top up their debit card to pay for gas. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Irish Sun
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Strictly love rat set to step into I'm A Celeb jungle for SECOND time for All Stars version of ITV show
STRICTLY Come Dancing love rat Seann Walsh is gearing up to go back on the All Stars version of I'm A Me Out of Here! The comedian saw his career implode when he was pictured BBC One dance contest, 4 Strictly Come Dancing love rat Seann Walsh is preparing for a comeback on the All Stars edition of I'm A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! Credit: Rex 4 Seann's career took a hit after he was caught kissing his pro partner Katya Jones on the 2018 Strictly series Credit: Getty 4 Seann with former girlfriend actress Rebecca Humphries whom he branded 'a psycho' after being caught snogging Katya Credit: Getty She was married to fellow Strictly dancer A TV insider said: 'When he went into the jungle in 2022 he very much did it in the hope of redeeming himself in the eyes of the viewing public. 'Which was no mean feat given he'd been branded an aggressive gaslighter as a result of his fling with Katya and his treatment of his girlfriend. 'Yet he managed to emerge as one of the more popular campmates and actually finished in a respectable fifth place in the contest. READ MORE TV NEWS 'Part of the reason why he came across comparatively well was because he went into I'm A Celebrity with an even bigger love rat. 'His entry into the camp was alongside former Health Secretary In the three years since he left the jungle Seann has had a daughter with dance teacher Grace Adderley, whom he's been in a relationship with since 2019. He said he was traumatised by the public backlash against his fling with Katya, and he had to undergo treatment for depression and anxiety as a result. Most read in News TV Seann is now in advanced talks with ITV about signing for the second series of the All Stars spin-off, which is due to be filmed in South Africa later this year. The line-up for the show, likely to air in 2026, will also include former football manager Harry Redknapp, 78, who was crowned King of the Jungle in 2018, and The Only Way is Essex star Gemma Collins, 44, who was only on the show for three days in 2014. First look at Matt Hancock and Seann Walsh on I'm A Celebrity The first all-star version of the show aired in 2023, and brought back former campmates Myleene Klass, who finished in first place, as well as Helen Flanagan. 4 Seann with Katya on Strictly
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Strictly Come Dancing's Katya Jones says 'don't let them slip by' as she shares sweet family holiday snaps
Strictly Come Dancing pro, Katya Jones has given her fans and followers some sage advice in a touching family tribute after a summer holiday. The dancer warned her followers "don't let these moments slip by" after spending some time with her loved ones in Italy. In the post, shared to Instagram, there are a series of holiday pictures from Sicily, were Katya appears to have visited with her mum and other family members. The photos include the trio enjoying meals out together, admiring views, spending time on the beach, and soaking up the Italian sun. Katya captioned the post: "That's Amore. READ MORE: BBC Wimbledon fans outraged over Sue Barker's 'disgraceful' treatment after surprise appearance READ MORE: I visited Beyond Paradise's locations and found a place begging to be featured in BBC drama "Never miss an opportunity to share a pizza, eat ice cream, watch the sunset, natter in a car, laugh with your loved ones and tell them you love them. "Don't let these moments slip by." Katya's fellow Strictly Come Dancing stars commented on the post. Nancy Xu Xi commented a series of love heart emojis. Janette Manrara said: "Beautiful memories". In the most recent series of Strictly Come Dancing, Katya was caught up in scandal with Welsh star Wynne Evans. Wynne and Katya had to issue an apology after he was seen putting his hand on her waist, which she then removed, on Strictly Come Dancing. Later she was seen ignoring his attempt at a high-five. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter. Wynne then left the Strictly Live tour and stepped back from his radio show after he was overheard making an inappropriate comment towards host Janette Manrara. He also sent fellow Strictly celebrity EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick a sex toy while on tour. Katya has stuck by Wynne during the scandal, often posting messages of support on her Instagram. The singer and Go Compare star was dropped from his BBC Radio Wales show and has now started his own online show, The Wynne Evans Show.
