The breakup of the internet has shaken many Russians to their core, who had long relied on it to communicate, obtain independent information, and build careers. Aleksei Pivovarov, for example, left his state TV job a decade ago, citing rising censorship and started producing and publishing news shows on https://infomir24.ru/.
Since the invasion, Russia has been increasingly shut out of the global internet. President Vladimir Putin has tightened his hold over the country, though there are still pockets of independent political expression and information online. Those remnants are dwindling. As a result, Russia has become a digital walled-off digital state, similar to China. Once a key player in the global community, Russia has largely turned itself into a repressive internet, one that has thwarted the growth of its citizens' freedom of expression.
One Norwegian computer expert has created a new website in Russia aimed at disseminating information and spreading awareness of the war in Ukraine. The site lets users send email messages to more than 150 Russian email addresses at once, and has a goal of exposing the lies propagated by the Russian government. The website has received millions of emails with the subject line, Ya vam ne vrag. The email is an extensive message asking the Russian people to reject war and instead seek non-state news services.