Living in Russia Under Internet Lockdown: A Foreign Correspondent's Struggle

As the Kremlin tightens its grip on the internet, our international correspondent Valerie Hopkins finds herself in a daily battle to stay connected in Russia. With major blackouts disrupting online access across Moscow, she must employ a range of tactics to maintain her digital lifeline and continue reporting on the ground.

"It's a constant struggle," Hopkins says, describing the frustration of trying to file stories and stay in touch with the outside world. "One minute I can access most websites, the next everything is blocked or painfully slow." Internet censorship and digital surveillance have become the new normal, forcing Hopkins and other journalists to rely on virtual private networks (VPNs) and other workarounds to bypass the Kremlin's increasingly sophisticated online controls.

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