Russians are drawing parallels to Soviet-era censorship as sweeping state restrictions on internet access disrupt daily life and push presidential approval ratings into a rare decline.

Restrictions bite businesses and public alike

Internet access across Russia has become seriously curtailed as the Kremlin tightens its grip on the country's digital space, with officials framing the measures as a matter of public safety. Businesses and ordinary citizens say they are bearing the cost.

The restrictions have prompted Russians to draw comparisons between today's digital blackouts and Soviet-era censorship — a parallel that signals how deeply the curbs are felt in everyday life.

Approval ratings slide

The pressure is registering politically. State-imposed internet restrictions are frustrating millions of Russians and have sent President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings into a rare downward spiral, according to polling data cited by the Russian government's own tracking bodies.

The convergence of economic inconvenience and a widening sense of information control has made the internet crackdown one of the more visible domestic fault lines of Putin's current term.

What authorities say

Officials have maintained that the curbs exist to protect public safety, without specifying the precise platforms or services targeted in each case. Independent verification of the full scope of restrictions remains difficult from outside the country.

Criticism from within Russia, however, has grown more audible. Citizens and business owners have begun voicing frustration publicly — a notable shift in a media environment where dissent carries legal risk.