- The Russian government has intensified efforts to restrict internet access through unprecedented mobile shutdowns, a crackdown on VPNs, and the implementation of "white lists."
- Anxiety in the Kremlin, allegedly triggered by AI-powered military operations against Iran, has led to a push for total digital control within Russia.
- Major Russian digital platforms, including Yandex and VK, are now being forced to block VPN users and spy on their customers to report data to authorities.
AI Warfare and Geopolitical Paranoia
- The US operation "Epic Fury" against Iran, utilizing Project Maven AI, successfully targeted multiple government and military officials using accelerated AI-driven decision-making.
- Political theory professor Elke Schwarz warned that AI-led strikes lack human oversight and suffer from low reliability (25–50%), creating dangerous geopolitical precedents.
- Reports suggest that Putin’s recent paranoia and the severe mobile internet shutdowns in Moscow—lasting weeks—are direct responses to fears that similar AI-targeting technology could be turned against Russian leadership.
The Dismantling of the Russian Internet
- Internet shutdowns are reportedly being directed by the FSB’s Scientific and Technical Service (STS), which maps specific districts for forced blackouts.
- Despite a state-mandated block on Telegram, approximately 65 million Russians continue to use the messenger daily.
- New regulations mandate that Russian apps monitor user devices for VPN tools, effectively turning domestic platforms into state-mandated spyware.
AI Development and Military Sovereignty
- Putin has shifted his rhetoric toward the militarization of AI, demanding domestic LLM development for national defense.
- Russian developers are actively leveraging open-source foreign models like LLaMA and Mistral to build autonomous drones and guidance systems, bypassing the need for domestic innovation from scratch.
- Russia’s history of AI exports, such as the FindFace facial recognition system used by Iran to suppress protests, highlights the dual-use nature of the country's technological capabilities.