Russia totally disconnected from the Internet

The Russian government has confirmed that Internet disconnection tests have passed, making RuNet the largest intranet in the world.
The Russian government announced yesterday that it has concluded a series of tests in which it successfully disconnected the country from the global internet. The tests started last week were carried out over several days. They involved Russian government agencies, local Internet service providers, as well as Russian companies specializing in the Internet field.

The objective was to find out whether the national internet infrastructure - known in Russia as RuNet - could function without accessing the general DNS system and the outside Internet. Internet traffic was redirected internally, making the RuNet network the largest intranet in the world.

The government did not reveal any technical details about the tests or their exact content. All we know is that several disconnection scenarios have been tested, including one simulating a cyber attack from a foreign country.

"Respond effectively to the slightest threat"

The government revealed at a press conference that the experiment was a success.

"We are now certain that the authorities, like the telecommunications operators, are ready to respond effectively to the slightest threat and to ensure the functioning of the Internet and the telecommunications network in Russia," said Minister General Secretary Alexei Sokolov. digital development, communications and media, cited by several Russian news agencies.

He added that the test results will be presented to President Putin next year.

Long-planned tests

The success of these tests is the result of years of planning, legislation on the part of the Russian government and physical modifications to the Russian internet infrastructure.

The tests were originally scheduled for April this year, but have been postponed until this fall, to give the Kremlin more time to pass an accompanying law. Called the "Internet Sovereignty" law, it grants the Russian government the power to disconnect the country from the rest of the Internet as it pleases, without requiring specific justification, for "national security" reasons.

To do this, the law requires local Internet service providers to redirect all internet traffic to strategic points, managed by the Russian Ministry of Communications. These points can serve as a gigantic switch for Russia's external internet connectivity, but they can also function as surveillance devices, close to Chinese firewall technology, as many privacy advocates have pointed out.