INTERNET SHUTDOWNS IN 2023 over Ukraine’s telecommunications infrastructure.178 In occupied Ukrainian territories where Russia has rerouted Ukrainian internet infrastructure to connect to Russian-controlled networks, people may now be less likely to experience full network disruptions. However, Russia-controlled internet also subjects these communities to Russia’s ongoing surveillance and censorship, putting them at further risk. That said, Russia has continued to conduct military attacks that impact communications infrastructure. Throughout 2023, the military launched missiles targeting Ukraine’s energy facilities and power grids across the country, resulting in emergency power outages in major metropolitan areas including Kharkiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhia, Vinnytsia, and Kyiv.179 The assault caused internet outages that blocked millions of people’s access to information during the ongoing invasion.180 In December 2023, Russia launched a cyberattack that caused a service outage at one of Ukraine’s biggest telecoms, Kyivstar. This left millions without an internet connection.181 The shutdown caused ATMs to fail and disrupted the proper functioning of air-raid alert systems.182 According to Ukrainian officials, the attack was intended to gather intelligence and cause psychological distress for Ukrainians.183 178 37 Ukrainian actors also imposed two shutdowns as part of a strategy of resistance against Russia’s ongoing occupation. In May 2023, Ukrainian hackers disabled the website of Russian internet service provider Miranda Media.184 And in October 2023, the Ukraine IT Army confirmed they had temporarily disabled the services of three Russian internet providers operating in Crimea: Miranda Media, Krimtelekom, and MirTelekom.185 Meanwhile, Russian authorities continued blocking online platforms both in Russia and the occupied territories of Ukraine in attempts to control the narrative and more effectively spread disinformation and propaganda through official channels.186 They maintained blocks of X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram, and made threats of censorship against other social media platforms, such as YouTube and WhatsApp, to force them to comply with government content moderation directives.187 For example, both Facebook and Instagram have been blocked since October 2022, when authorities designated their parent company Meta an extremist organization and accused it of “Russiaphobia” for allowing criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to circulate on its platforms.188 In 2023, Meta was also forced to drop the launch of its WhatsApp Channels in Russia, which would have enabled people to publicly broadcast information to wider audiences on the app, after the country’s federal censorship agency, Supra note 1. Access Now (2023). 179 See, e.g., CNN (2023). Missile strikes will lead to emergency power cuts across Ukraine, energy minister says. https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-1-14-23/h_cb548fad3d1247ec433677f6358cea4e 180 Cyberscoop (2023). Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure cause internet outages, cutting off a valuable wartime tool. https://cyberscoop.com/ukraine-internet-outages-infrastructure-attacks/ 181 Reuters (2023). Ukraine's top mobile operator hit by biggest cyberattack of war. https://www.reuters.com/technology/ cybersecurity/ukraines-biggest-mobile-operator-suffers-massive-hacker-attack-statement-2023-12-12/ 182 Reuters (2024). Exclusive: Russian hackers were inside Ukraine telecoms giant for months. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-hackers-were-inside-ukraine-telecoms-giant-months-cyber-spychief-2024-01-04/ 183 Cybercrime Programme Office (2024). Cybercrime Digest: 1-15 January 2024. https://rm.coe.int/cyber-digest-cproc-202401-01/1680ae548a 184 The Record (2023). Russia's 'Silicon Valley' hit by cyberattack; Ukrainian group claims deep access. https://therecord.media/skolkovo-foundation-cyberattack-russia-ukraine 185 The Record (2023). Ukrainian hackers disrupt internet providers in Russia-occupied territories. https://therecord.media/ukranian-hackers-disrupt-internet-providers-crimea 186 Access Now (2022). Updates: Digital rights in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. https://www.accessnow.org/russia-throttledtwitter/ 187 Access Now (2021). Russia throttled Twitter to censor content — Here’s what happens next. https://www.accessnow.org/ russia-throttled-twitter/; The Verge (2022). Russia bans Instagram as promised, blocking access for 80 million users. https:// www.theverge.com/2022/3/14/22976603/russia-bans-instagram-facebook-meta-call-to-violence. Are they preparing to block YouTube in Russia? What is known about this https://www.dw.com/ru/v-rossii-gotovat-blokirovku-youtube-cto-ob-etomizvestno/a-66622887; The Bell (2023). Russia's authorities are talking about blocking WhatsApp. What would this mean in reality? https://en.thebell.io/russias-authorities-are-talking-about-blocking-whatsapp-what-would-this-mean-in-reality/ 188 The Moscow Times (2022). Russia Adds Meta to List of 'Terrorist and Extremist' Orgs. https://www.themoscowtimes. com/2022/10/11/russia-adds-meta-to-list-of-terrorist-and-extremist-orgs-a79057