Mobile internet access in central Moscow will be restricted from October 27 to 29 during the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and the Russia-Africa summit, Russia’s Digital Development Ministry said.
The restrictions will apply within the Third Ring Road, starting at 11:30 a.m. on October 27 and 28 and at 9:30 a.m. on October 29, the ministry stated. Voice calls, Wi-Fi, and websites on an approved list will remain available. The measures are intended to ensure security for the two high-profile events.
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum begins on October 27 at the International Trade Center, with Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled to speak first. Attendees will include the presidents of Iran and Equatorial Guinea, the emir of Qatar, and Libya’s presidential council chair, with Venezuela’s acting president joining via video link.
The Russia-Africa summit follows on October 28 and 29, with 48 African delegations participating and 22 countries represented by their heads of state, according to presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. Putin is set to hold over 20 bilateral meetings during the event. The first plenary session will take place at Gostiny Dvor on October 28, with further sessions at the Grand Kremlin Palace the next day.
Moscow has previously imposed similar restrictions, including a two-week mobile internet shutdown in central areas in March, which officials also justified as a security measure. The economic cost of that outage was estimated at 1 billion rubles per day, or 41 million rubles per hour, by the Kommersant newspaper.
