Unmasking Russia

Putin Missing From the Kremlin as Internet Blackouts Spread and Control Tightens Across Russia

Vladimir Putin has not appeared at the Kremlin since March 9, breaking a pattern of brief absences and fueling speculation that he is operating from undisclosed locations. Simultaneously, Moscow has experienced extensive mobile‑internet blackouts, disrupting payments, communications and everyday commerce. The outages coincide with reports that Telegram’s proxy traffic is overwhelming Roskomnadzor’s filtering system, allowing occasional access to previously blocked platforms. A pro‑Kremlin blogger who publicly criticized Putin was swiftly placed in a psychiatric facility, underscoring a renewed wave of repression.