True humanitarian disaster is unrolling in #Russia as the authorities are switching off mobile Internet in places even very distant from the front line to stop Ukrainian UAVs. It has the unintended consequence that without mobile Internet you can’t buy vodka.

Since 2019 Russia introduced very strict regulations, according to which each sale of alcohol is registered in real-time (!) in an on-line system run by tax administration. This regulation is intended to enforce time restrictions on alcohol sales, so you can’t buy it after 23:00 and before 08:00, plus many more - for example on some holidays, in some locations etc.

If Internet doesn’t work, shops can’t register sales so they can’t legally sell alcohol. Risking huge fines and losing license, they won’t even offer “delayed registration” and widespread snitchery makes it really difficult to bypass these regulations.