Twitter, Facebook, Instagram access blocked in Russia

Russia’s government seeks to control the information that gets to its citizens in the face of international condemnation for its invasion of Ukraine. Reports indicate that Russia has blocked access to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, preventing ordinary Russians from finding out about events from sources other than local media.

Since yesterday morning, Russian users and website analytics indicate the sites are experiencing problems in the region. Yesterday afternoon, there were numerous reports of outages. On social media, messages praising Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, are being shared.

Support for Ukraine has been widespread since the invasion started this Thursday. Even in Russia, thousands are said to have been arrested protesting against the move.