Major Banking Outages in Russia Amid Internet Crackdown

• •Major Russian banks faced service disruptions on April 3, 2026, affecting electronic transactions.
• •The outages were linked to a technical failure and intensified internet restrictions targeting VPNs.
• •Customers reported issues with mobile banking apps and ATM withdrawals, leading to cash-only transactions.

On April 3, 2026, major Russian banks, including Sberbank, VTB, and T-Bank, experienced significant service disruptions affecting mobile banking, payment transfers, and ATM withdrawals. The outages were reported around 10 a.m. Moscow time and were attributed to a technical failure at one of the banks, exacerbated by the government's recent crackdown on VPNs. The Russian Central Bank's National Payment Card System (NSPK) confirmed that the situation did not affect the safety of customer funds. The disruptions coincided with heightened internet restrictions imposed by the Russian government, which has been intensifying online censorship since the onset of the war in Ukraine. The NSPK oversees the Fast Payment System, which was also impacted by the outages. Customers faced long lines at cash-only establishments as electronic payment systems failed. The incident highlights the vulnerabilities in Russia's banking infrastructure amid increasing government control over internet access.