Russia's 'nyet' to the internet

From The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

May 7, 2026 · 36 min

About this episode

The episode explores Russia's efforts to create a sovereign internet and the implications of isolating the country from the global internet.

The Kremlin’s pursuit of a “sovereign internet” has raised fears of a digital Iron Curtain. After months of mobile internet shutdowns, Russian authorities have moved to block major platforms like YouTube and Telegram, along with the VPNs people rely on to bypass restrictions. We explore what’s driving the push to isolate the largest country on Earth from the global internet and unpack the political, economic and military implications of the country’s tightening digital borders. Contributors: Daria Mosolova, Howard Gethin, Gleb Borshchevski, Evgeny Pudovkin Producer: Kriszta Satori Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg Music: Pete Cunningham

People in this episode

Hosts: Kriszta Satori, Krassi Ivanova Twigg

Topics covered

internet censorship
digital sovereignty
Russia
political implications
economic implications
military implications

Keywords

Russia
internet censorship
sovereign internet
digital Iron Curtain
YouTube
Telegram
VPNs
Kremlin
digital borders

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Kremlin, YouTube, Telegram