On the Day Ukraine Crossed the Border, YouTube in Russia Vanished
Despite limited success on the battlefield and a resilient economy, Russians are being increasingly isolated from the world.
The plans seemed to have been in place long before the switch was actually thrown, but just as Ukrainian troops crossed the border on the morning of August 6th, Russian citizens noted significant slowdowns in YouTube. Videos became unwatchable or watchable but in a grainy, foggy format with no sound.
Was it a coincidence that one of the most significant rips in Putin’s curtain was his taking place, and his Oz-like proclamations of being scary and all-powerful were in full view of the whole world? Nothing is a coincidence in Putin’s Russia. Without the ever-vigilant YouTube to remind more curious Russians what is actually happening, the government is now capable of spinning any variation of any web their nasty little hearts desire.
The official news sources guide Russians to Telegram channels where the Kremlin’s line is woven into every post. The headlines scream that Ukrainian troops are being routed, with accompanying videos of Ukrainian tanks blowing up. One post came from a commander on the ground who took a moment from the fighting to declare that “all around are French and…
