Putin’s Internet Blackout: A Chaotic Drive to Cut Off Russians From the World NYT | Top Stories Paul Sonne, Valerie Hopkins and Oleg Matsnev 1 April 2026 at 00:49 With new outages and blockages, President Vladimir V. Putin is taking his boldest steps yet to control Russians’ communications. © Alexander Zemlianichenko/Associated PressOf all the examples of growing repression in Russia during four years of war in Ukraine, few have touched more people than deepening internet restrictions.