Residents of St. Petersburg, Russia, experienced a widespread mobile internet outage over the weekend — the latest in a series of shutdowns that may be linked to the Kremlin’s efforts to protect critical infrastructure from Ukrainian drone attacks.

The disruptions affected both consumers and businesses, with some cafes, shops and gas stations switching to cash transactions because they couldn’t process card or QR-code payments, according to media reports. Passengers at the city’s train station were told to purchase tickets onboard after service counters and terminals went offline, while carsharing vehicles reportedly stalled mid-drive after losing connectivity. 

Telecom providers denied responsibility for the outage, and local authorities have not commented.

The blackout came as officials in the neighbouring Leningrad region warned of possible Ukrainian drone strikes, adding that connectivity issues could occur. Over the weekend, drone activity also disrupted air travel across Russia, with temporary delays and cancellations at major airports. Two drones were shot down south of St. Petersburg, prompting a brief suspension of flights at Pulkovo Airport, one of the busiest in the country. 

Internet shutdowns have become increasingly common across Russia. They are often imposed during national holidays or major political events, but more recently authorities have reportedly used them as a countermeasure against drone attacks. Russian cybersecurity experts say cutting mobile and GPS connectivity can hamper real-time coordination of drone strikes. 

The mobile outages can affect a range of civilian services, including online banking, taxis and deliveries.

According to the local internet monitoring project, Russia experienced 655 mobile internet outages in June alone. The shutdowns increased sharply after Ukraine launched its “Spiderweb” operation this spring, in which drones — allegedly guided by mobile networks — targeted long-range aviation bases deep inside Russian territory.

Ukraine, which has also faced Russian drone attacks, has debated similar internet shutdowns to combat drone attacks but has not yet implemented them.