Shutdowns of cellphone internet links sweep Russia, further limiting already-stifled net freedom

A snappy tune by a blogger that mockingly laments his poor internet connection in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don has gotten over a half-million views on Instagram in two weeks. The complaints by Osipyan — unable to pay electronically for groceries, or having to use paper maps while driving — aren't isolated to Rostov-on-Don, which borders Ukraine and, as home to Russia's Southern Military District, is targeted frequently by drones. In the last two months, cellphone internet shutdowns, which officials say are needed to foil Ukrainian drones, have hit dozens of Russian regions — from those near the fighting to parts of Siberia and even the Far East.