In early March, a wave of dismissals hit Russia's Ministry of Defense, reaching high-ranking officials close to President Putin, including Ruslan Calikov, who served as the deputy to the former minister Sergey Shoigu. Calikov is notably the fourth senior official from the security services to be accused of corruption amidst a broader crackdown on corruption highlighted by repeated allegations against figures including Ivanov, Bulgakov, and Popov.

Investigative journalists have noted strange coincidences regarding disruptions in mobile and fixed internet services, as well as VPNs which have been reported in key locations associated with Russian power structures such as Lubjanka, the presidential administration, the Security Council, and the Ministry of Defense. This raises suspicions of an organized attempt to control information flow and manage dissent in the face of rising internal pressures, as there have been no recent drone attacks from Ukraine against Moscow.

The implications of these events suggest a significant unease within the Russian government, particularly as the leadership attempts to manage both public perception and maintain stability amid increasing scrutiny over corruption allegations. The internet disruptions could be seen as a mechanism to prevent potential unrest or organized dissent, signaling a precarious state of governance in Russia's current political climate.