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Frequent internet blackouts and crackdowns on VPNs are driving Russians to turn to pagers, paper maps and landlines. The threat to ban Telegram, however, generates criticism even from Putin’s supporters. WhatsApp has stopped working. Instagram and Facebook too. Telegram, Russia’s main means of communication, with around 100 million users, has been suffering continuous blocks – and the expectation that it will be shut down in the coming days has generated rare public reactions in the country, which is also moving towards isolating itself from the world digitally.
