Sawt Falasteen - 'Of course it's not safe': small city in Russia tries to shrug off war

Across Russia's western regions, authorities switch off mobile internet when Ukraine launches retaliatory drone attacks in a bid to disrupt their navigation systems.

The swarms have become increasingly frequent as the war looks set to drag into its fifth year, with Kyiv pledging to continue trying to strike Russian energy targets in response to Moscow's nightly missile and drone barrages on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Months after the temporary blackouts started being introduced -- tentatively at first for fear of triggering a backlash -- they are now a fact of everyday life.

"The only inconvenience is the lack of internet," Antonina, a 42-year-old accountant, told AFP of life in the city, which is home to around 400,000 people.

"Everything else you can get through," she added.

The Kremlin has justified the internet switch-off as a necessary air-defence measure, and officials have drawn up white lists of digital services that should remain available when everything else is forced offline.

Soldier Ivan Nulev, on leave in the city, backed the measures.

"It's all for our safety, what can you say. We used to live without the internet," he told AFP.

"Sometimes the lack of internet is very good for our children," said another local resident, company director Natalia.

But despite shrugging off fears, there are signs nerves are frayed in Tver, around 500 kilometres (300 miles) from the border with Ukraine.

"Overall, there's a lot of tension in society. Of course, you feel it more here than in Moscow," said Maxim, a 39-year-old software developer from the capital who was staying at his country house near the city.

"I think everyone feels the negative consequences" of the conflict, he added.

"I don't think anybody is coming out ahead here."

- Growing fatigue -

A December poll by the independent Levada Center found that while three-quarters of Russians supported their army's actions in Ukraine, just 25 percent -- the lowest level since the start of the war -- would back continuing fighting when asked to choose between that or peace talks.

Last month, Ukrainian drone debris triggered a fire in an apartment block in Tver, wounding seven people.

Early on Tuesday morning, the regional governor mistakenly reported one person killed when a Ukrainian drone crashed into a residential building.

It turned out to be a domestic gas explosion.

The Russian defence ministry said six Ukrainian drones had been downed over the surrounding region.

Moscow fires dozens of drones and missiles at Ukraine in nightly barrages, hitting residential areas and critical infrastructure.

Ukraine says its retaliatory strikes are justified, an attempt to hit military sites and hobble Russia's vital oil and gas industry, revenues from which fund the offensive.

"Of course it's not safe," local resident Olga told AFP on Tuesday, when asked about the situation in the city.

Like others AFP spoke to, she refused to give her surname.

Russia has outlawed criticsm of the authorities and the offensive on Ukraine under strict military censorship laws.

"I worry about the drones," she added.

E.Qaddoumi--SF-PST