EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday (April 29, 2026) accused the Kremlin of cutting Russians off from the internet to hide worsening economic conditions in the country as sanctions over the Ukraine war bite.

“With inflation increasing and interest rates skyrocketing, the consequences of Russia’s war of choice are also being paid for out of Russian people’s pockets,” European Commission head Ms. von der Leyen told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg.