Cogent communications, an Internet backbone provider, has cut ties with Russian customers over its invasion of Ukraine. The US-based company is one of the world’s largest Internet backbone providers and serves customers in 50 countries.

Cogent cited’economic sanctions’ and’the increasingly uncertain security situation’ as the motivation behind its total shutdown in the country. In a letter to Russian customers, cogent said it’terminated its contracts’ with Russian customers in compliance with the European Union’s move to ban Russian state-backed media outlets.

Some of the company’s most prominent Russian customers include Rostelecom, search engine Yandex, and two of Russia’s largest mobile carriers.

Traffic from cogent’s global network will instead fall back on other backbone providers in the country. There is n’t any indication as to whether other Internet backbone providers will suspend services in Russia.

Cutting Russians off from Internet access cuts them from off from sources of independent news and the ability to organize anti-war protests. Do n’t do Putin’s dirty work for him.

Digital rights activists have criticized cogent’s decision to disconnect itself from Russia. They argue that it could prevent civilians from accessing credible information about the invasion.

Cogent’s goal is to prevent the Russian government from using the company’s networks for cyberattacks and propaganda. The company does n’t want to keep Russian civilians from accessing the Internet.