Russian state-owned companies spent 118 million rubles on landline telephones from January through August 2026, more than triple their expenditure during the corresponding period in 2025. Procurement figures cited by the business newspaper Vedomosti also showed a 12.5% increase in purchase tenders, with buying concentrated in major business and infrastructure centers. As mobile internet shutdowns affect nearly 80% of the country, ministries and businesses are seeking alternatives. Industry participants attributed the increase to network restrictions, demand for secure communications, and a transition to Russian-made, software-based telephone exchange systems after Western suppliers withdrew following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Systematic mobile internet shutdowns began in May 2025, initially affecting more than 40 regions before Victory Day celebrations. Occasional interruptions subsequently became routine. An independent monitoring project counted 655 outages in June 2025 and 2,099 in July; analysts said the latter exceeded the worldwide total for the preceding year. Banking, taxis, food delivery, and navigation have suffered, particularly in rural areas. Authorities describe the restrictions as protection against Ukrainian drones allegedly guided by mobile internet signals. Experts challenge that justification, noting that drones can follow preprogrammed routes offline and that shutdowns extend far beyond the front line.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in March that the presidential administration uses landlines. Rostelecom chief Mikhail Oseyevsky subsequently urged Russians to return to fixed lines. Russia currently has approximately 12.2 landline phones per 100 residents, although the Ministry of Economic Development forecasts a decline to between 8.2 and 8.5 by 2029.
