Authorities in Far East Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula announced Monday that the region will face a near-total internet blackout this week due to maintenance on an undersea fiber-optic cable.
Starting at midnight local time on Wednesday, repairs by state telecommunications provider Rostelecom will last up to four days, “weather permitting,” the regional government said.
“During this period, mobile and home internet will be unavailable. Messaging apps, social media and online services will not work,” the government added in its statement.
Standard voice calls, SMS text messages, television broadcasts and emergency services will remain functional. Meanwhile, critical infrastructure, including hospitals, gas stations, supermarkets and ATMs, will transition to backup satellite connections.
Kamchatka’s government advised the region’s 280,000 residents to prepare in advance by withdrawing cash and utilizing offline resources to limit reliance on internet-dependent services.
The fiber-optic cable maintenance was originally scheduled for September 2025 but was later postponed.
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