On June 24, 2025, residents of Olenegorsk, Murmansk Oblast, continue to face serious disruptions in cellular communications and the Internet, which began after the attack of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on the Olenya military airfield on June 1. Problems with mobile Internet and cashless payments have created significant inconveniences for local residents, especially for pensioners who depend on grocery delivery and online services. The situation also complicates the work of Wildberries and Ozon pick-up points, which depend on Internet applications.

According to a local resident who wished to remain anonymous, the problems began immediately after the attack on June 1, when drones, allegedly launched from a truck at the entrance to the city, attacked the Olenya airfield.

The lack of mobile internet has created a chain reaction of problems. In Olenegorsk, only two providers, Rostelecom and MegaFon, provide access to wired internet, but connecting to their services is difficult due to long queues, which, according to locals, have stretched “until next year.” In some buildings, especially in high-rise buildings, connecting to Wi-Fi is technically impossible due to the lack of infrastructure. This is especially critical for elderly residents, such as the mother of one of the residents, who lives on the eighth floor, who previously actively used grocery delivery. The only delivery service in the city stopped working due to glitches in the application.