Russia's 'nyet' to the 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

You can listen to Russia's 'nyet' to the internet online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Russia's 'nyet' to the internet is an episode from The Documentary by BBC.

This episode is 35:42 long.

This episode was published on May 7, 2026.

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