MOSCOW, April 23. /TASS/. The government services portal, payment systems, medical appointment booking and other important services must operate without interruption even when internet access is restricted, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at a meeting with the government.
He also noted that Russia is ready to cooperate in the Arctic with all interested countries, but will defend its national interests in the region.
TASS has compiled the key statements of the head of state.
Internet outages in major Russian cities are linked to preventing terrorist threats: "Of course, if this is related to operational work to prevent terrorist attacks, and we know that, unfortunately, we sometimes miss such strikes, and, of course, ensuring the safety of people, our children, loved ones, and every citizen of Russia will always be a priority."
The authorities cannot widely inform people in advance about the forced restriction of mobile internet to prevent terrorist attacks because, in that case, criminals would also adjust their plans: "I understand that when operational work is underway to prevent criminal acts, to prevent terrorist attacks, in this case, divulging this information to the public in advance could interfere with the measure's effectiveness, because criminals also hear and see everything, and, of course, if any information reaches them, they will adjust their criminal behavior and their criminal plans."
