On March 20, 2025, residents throughout Russia reported severe disruptions in Internet services, connecting the issues to actions taken by Roskomnadzor against the U.S.-based company Cloudflare. Many users found that popular foreign services, including Figma, Twitch, and Discord, were inaccessible, along with major online games like Genshin Impact and League of Legends.
According to Downdetector, the extent of the Internet outage was vast, affecting both stationary devices and gadgets alike. Problems were predominantly observed among home Internet users, with significant complaints surfacing through the portal Sboy.rf. Notably, mobile operators MTS and Rostelecom, key internet providers in the country, also experienced sharp declines in the quality of their services, with a notable drop in download speeds.
Experts suggested that the root cause of these problems stemmed from failures within Cloudflare's infrastructure, which serves as a critical backbone for many websites by protecting them against cyberattacks and speeding up access. However, the current instability appears to stem from a government crackdown on foreign server systems, which the Russian authorities believe compromise domestic security.
Roskomnadzor acknowledged that "some Russian services have indeed stopped working due to failures" in Cloudflare. They further advised Russian organizations to rely on domestic hosting providers for a more stable Internet experience. This marks a significant shift in the Russian Internet ecosystem — one that reflects ongoing efforts to enhance technological sovereignty.
Moreover, complaints registered from users of the state services portal Gosuslugi and the lottery service Stoloto indicated a widespread nature of the issue; many users had difficulty accessing what were generally considered reliable online services. For instance, within just one hour, the Discord service received a staggering 1,366 complaints, and in total, user frustration equated to over 10,000 reported issues in a single day.
Prior to this outage, Roskomnadzor had already undertaken measures that affected Cloudflare’s operations. In late 2024, the organization began restricting sites that utilized Cloudflare’s Encrypted Client Hello (ECH) technology, which obscures user browsing data and can act to sidestep existing access restrictions imposed by the government.
By February 2025, the situation escalated with Roskomnadzor officially listing Cloudflare as a distributor of information organizer, thereby requiring the company to comply with local laws that mandate user data storage and accessibility to Russian authorities. This ruling fits within a larger strategic aim of increasing domestic control over digital infrastructure, particularly concerning data security and Internet access.
As the clock struck 5:25 PM local time on March 20, many Russians continued to face connectivity issues, including those attempting to reach educational tools like Duolingo and literary resources such as Litnet, even as Cloudflare's engineering team stated they were actively investigating the connection problems reported from various networks.
In forums across the country, users voiced their discontent, claiming that "90% of the Internet" has become inaccessible due to Cloudflare's services being blocked. Some commentators noted, "Cloudflare got blocked? Their site hasn’t been reachable since early this morning, affecting a multitude of websites." This dismissal indicates a growing public awareness and concern regarding the government’s efforts to control the digital landscape.
The issues also shed light on not only the importance of foreign infrastructures like Cloudflare in modern internet service but highlight the risks involved when these are subjected to domestic restrictions. Without alternative systems, many platforms that rely on Cloudflare's protective measures are left vulnerable to operational failures, leaving users in a quandary regarding access to fundamental online services.
The unfolding situation is a prompt reminder of how intertwined internet accessibility is with political decisions—something that will require ongoing monitoring as developments continue to evolve. Discussions around the importance of technological sovereignty and the potential drawbacks of relying on foreign service infrastructures remain as pertinent as ever. With uncertain timelines for resolution and the clock ticking, many residents are left to wonder when and if normalcy will return to their digital experiences.
