Kremlin blames widespread website disruptions on DDoS attack; digital experts disagree

Widespread disruptions affected major platforms in Russia (e.g., WhatsApp, Telegram, Wikipedia, Steam, Skype, Discord, VK, Twitch, App Store), with some impact reported in neighboring countries. Roskomnadzor attributed the issues to DDoS attacks on telecom operators, but experts and operators disputed this, pointing instead to likely state-driven throttling or blocking—potentially targeting Telegram—that unintentionally affected other services, aligning with prior censorship-related slowdowns and blocks.