UK Defence Intelligence assesses Russia's plans to grant FSB unprecedented control over communications

UK Defence Intelligence has reviewed Russia's plans to grant the Federal Security Service (FSB) broad powers over the country's communications networks.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence update dated 8 February on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: UK Defence Intelligence pointed out that on 27 January, the State Duma, the lower chamber of Russia's parliament, approved "government-backed amendments that would allow the FSB to shut down mobile internet, fixed-line internet, telephone services, and 'any other means of communication' in response to vaguely defined 'security threats'".

The draft law would require telecommunications operators to immediately cease providing services upon receiving an FSB order and would shield them from any financial liability for resulting disruptions.

Quote: "As Russian law defines 'communications services' as broadly covering voice, text, images, and data transmitted by radio, fibre-optic, or other electromagnetic systems, the amendments would give the FSB unprecedented reach across the entire communications landscape."

Details: UK Defence Intelligence notes that this legislative move aligns with Russia's broader tightening of information control, including new directives restricting software from "unfriendly" countries. If adopted, the amendments would formalise and expand the state's ability to impose mass communication blackouts, reinforcing a trend towards deeper state control that has intensified since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Quote: "These domestic measures coincide with Russia's growing role in exporting censorship and shutdown technologies abroad. Investigations by private media outlets show Russia helped Iran build one of the most advanced internet-control systems ever deployed, centred on deep packet inspection capable of throttling apps, blocking VPNs and tracking protest organisers in real time."

Background:

• On 26 January, UK Defence Intelligence stated that Russia's demographic crisis is deepening amid the full-scale war against Ukraine, mass emigration and significant battlefield losses, while Kremlin efforts to boost the birth rate are unlikely to halt population decline in the near term.
• On 23 December 2025, UK Defence Intelligence also reported that Russian forces are able to offset significant losses by drawing personnel from poorer regions where ethnic minorities live.

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