MOSCOW — Four years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the country is grappling with a spring marked by growing public discontent, as rolling digital blackouts disrupt daily life in major cities and the government's repressive measures intensify against perceived threats to its authority.
The blackouts, which began affecting Moscow and other urban centers in early March, have hampered e-commerce, rendered apps and electronic services inaccessible, and sparked frustration among ordinary Russians. On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin addressed the issue for the first time during a public appearance, acknowledging the disruptions but framing them as necessary precautions. “I can’t help but point out what people are also encountering in large cities — it’s rare, but unfortunately, it does happen,” Putin said. “I’m referring to certain internet problems and outages in major metropolitan areas.”
Putin attributed the outages to “operational work to prevent terrorist attacks,” adding that advance public disclosure could undermine security efforts. “Widespread public information in advance can be detrimental to operational development, because the criminals, after all, hear and see everything,” he explained. “And, of course, if information reaches them, they will adjust their criminal behavior and their criminal plans.” His comments suggest that wartime inconveniences are to be endured, with limited transparency for the public.
Amid these digital woes, Russia's security apparatus has ramped up its crackdown on dissent and free expression. On Tuesday, officials from the Investigative Committee raided the offices of Eksmo, one of the country's largest publishing houses, and detained several staff members. The action stems from a year-old criminal investigation into alleged “LGBTQ propaganda,” according to authorities.
At the center of the probe is Popcorn Books, an Eksmo imprint that specializes in young-adult fiction. The book drawing scrutiny is “Summer in a Pioneer Tie,” a 2021 bestseller that depicts a queer romance between two young men at a Soviet-era summer camp. Several individuals linked to the publisher were detained last year, and the Popcorn Books imprint was shuttered in January.
Russia's stance against what it views as Western influences has hardened under Putin, who has positioned himself as a guardian of traditional values. In 2023, the Supreme Court labeled the “international LGBTQ movement” an extremist organization, subjecting activism — and apparently publishing related content — to severe criminal penalties. Russia's state news agency TASS reported that top Eksmo managers were released on bail following questioning, though the incident underscores the shrinking space for creative expression in the publishing sector.
The publishing raid is part of a broader pattern targeting independent voices. Earlier this month, police conducted a raid on the offices of Novaya Gazeta, the independent newspaper whose co-founder, Dmitry Muratov, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021. According to RIA-Novosti, citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs, journalist Oleg Roldugin was detained for questioning in a criminal case involving the alleged illegal mishandling of personal data.
Roldugin denied any wrongdoing ahead of a court hearing, but the raid has amplified concerns over the fate of Russia's dwindling free press. Novaya Gazeta ceased its print operations after the 2022 Ukraine invasion but persists with online publications from exile. The government's restrictions already make sharing independent news challenging, including bans on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, while promoting a state-controlled messaging app called MAX as the primary digital hub for services.
The Novaya Gazeta incident coincided with another blow to civil society: Russia's Supreme Court designated Memorial, the prominent human rights organization, as “extremist.” Memorial, known for documenting Soviet-era repressions, has long been a thorn in the Kremlin's side. In a statement, United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk condemned the move, saying it was “effectively criminalizing critical human rights work” in Russia.
Parallel to these arrests and designations, authorities are invoking symbols of Russia's authoritarian past. A few days ago, the FSB Academy — where Putin once trained as a KGB agent — was renamed in honor of Feliks Dzerzhinsky, the founder of the Soviet secret police. Dzerzhinsky's statue was toppled outside KGB headquarters in 1991, a pivotal moment signaling the Soviet Union's collapse, but the renaming signals a revival of that repressive legacy.
International backlash has followed similar actions. On Thursday, Reuters reported that the embassies of Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia lodged a formal protest with the Russian Foreign Ministry after a memorial complex in the Siberian city of Tomsk, dedicated to victims of the Soviet secret police, was dismantled. Earlier this month, Russia drew outrage for installing an exhibit at the Katyn Memorial site, where Soviet forces executed over 20,000 Polish prisoners of war in 1940; critics described the display as defiling the sacred ground.
Despite these developments, Russia has managed to weather some wartime strains. The economy has endured sanctions and military spending through bolstered oil revenues, aided unexpectedly by the Middle East conflict driving up global prices. Security services have effectively contained protests, but the combination of blackouts and intensified crackdowns is testing public tolerance.
Experts note that the government's approach reflects a familiar playbook under Putin: prioritizing control over convenience. The digital disruptions, while infrequent, have hit urban populations hard, where reliance on online services is high. E-commerce platforms have reported significant losses, and social media chatter — though censored — shows rising irritation among citizens.
Looking ahead, the spring discontent could signal deeper fissures if economic pressures mount or military setbacks in Ukraine intensify. Putin's indifference to public grievances, coupled with the security services' expanding reach, indicates no immediate easing of restrictions. As Russia navigates this period, the balance between wartime resilience and domestic stability remains precarious.
For ordinary Russians, the message is clear: sacrifices are required, and questioning them invites risk. With the invasion's anniversary approaching in February 2026 — marking five years — the government's grip appears only to tighten, resurrecting old tactics to suppress new challenges.