Russia's second-largest internet provider cuts off Russian websites

Russia's internet just got kneecapped.

The Washington Post reported on Friday that Cogent Communications is cutting off internet service to Russian clients. This puts it in the same league as companies like Meta, which blocks Russian state-affiliated news agencies on Facebook in Europe, and others.

Many companies in Russia are served by Cogent, an internet infrastructure provider. It is the second largest internet service provider in the country.

Russia has staged cyberwar offensives against the neighboring nation&s military and banking websites in addition to the traditional war it has waged on the ground. The country is using its state-affiliated media outlets and bot propaganda networks to promote a version of the invasion of Ukraine that is favorable to Russia.

The decision to cut off access was made in order to counter cyber attacks by Russian interests, according to Cogent. Since keeping Russians connected to the internet is crucial for them to get non-state sanctioned information, it was a difficult decision.

Visa, Boeing, and Harley Davidson are just some of the companies that have stopped doing business with Russia.