Disruptions in VPN Services and Websites Have Begun in Belarus
AMAP (OMON) on a Minsk street / Sergei Gapon / Getty Images
On Saturday, January 25, around 10-11 a.m. Minsk time, users in Belarus experienced disruptions when connecting to VPN services and certain foreign websites.
The issues affected at least six popular anonymization services, including Proton VPN, NordVPN, and TunnelBear. However, some VPN services, such as Psiphon, continued functioning without interruptions. The problems were observed on both home and mobile internet, complicating access to foreign resources.
The disruptions also impacted popular online platforms. Users reported difficulties connecting to Twitch, Steam, and Reddit, and noticed a decline in Telegram's performance, although the messenger remains largely accessible. For the first time, Wikipedia experienced a disruption, being unavailable in Belarus for about an hour and a half. Connection issues also affected VPN services like Mullvad, among others. Some users believe the blocking is selective and may expand to other popular services.
A reminder: on January 26, presidential elections will take place in Belarus. Alexander Lukashenka has previously stated that the internet could be completely shut down in case of a repeat of the 2020 events. Users continue to report connection instability, which, according to cybersecurity experts, may indicate preparations for such measures.
