A Volgograd activist demanded compensation from a mobile operator for internet outages.

The first lawsuit against a mobile operator in Volgograd was filed by local resident Maxim Konobeevskikh. The activist is demanding monetary compensation for poor service due to regular mobile internet outages.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," residents of the Volgograd region complained this summer about frequent, prolonged mobile internet outages, which authorities explain as necessary to protect against drone attacks. Volgograd residents are experiencing problems when paying in stores, calling a taxi, working, and trying to contact family. After a drone attack on November 6th, which killed a man in Volgograd, social media users noted that internet outages are not helping in the fight against drones.

The first lawsuit seeking compensation due to mobile internet access issues has been filed in Volgograd. It has been registered and accepted for proceedings in the Krasnooktyabrsky District Court. Local resident Maxim Konobeevskikh is the plaintiff, and a mobile operator is the defendant.

The subscriber intends to seek monetary compensation from the mobile operator for improper provision of the services paid for under the contract, as mobile internet access is included in his monthly plan, but he is unable to use it.

Konobeevskikh has experience in consumer protection litigation, but acknowledges that litigation with the mobile operator will likely be challenging. "The demands may be adjusted as the case progresses, as the field is very complex. We haven't had such claims before, and everything will depend on the mobile operator's position. It's quite difficult for consumers to prove their absence, since all the equipment is in the hands of the mobile operator, and the consumer is limited in their means of proof," V1 quoted him as saying.

In addition to 44-year-old Maxim Konobeevskikh, his relative is also the plaintiff, and the amount of compensation sought is 50,000 rubles each. The lawsuit was filed against Beeline, the mobile operator that previously stated in response to a subscriber's complaint that the reasons for disconnections "are beyond the company's control," according to Ostorozhno Novosti.

The plaintiff told the channel that if the mobile operator cites government agencies such as the Ministry of Defense or the FSB, he will try to include them as co-defendants. According to the Konobeyevsky family, mobile internet was previously disconnected at night, as well as during holidays and public events. However, for the past three weeks, it has been "completely absent," and regular mobile service also periodically cuts out—it's impossible to send text messages or make calls.

Volgograd resident Maxim Konobeyevsky formerly headed the human rights organization "Committee of Legal Initiatives." In early 2010, security forces searched his home and office, seizing equipment and all documents related to the organization's activities as part of an investigation into a deliberately false report of a terrorist attack. The court and prosecutor cited violations and inadmissible evidence in the case, and as a result, on February 16, 2012, it was closed due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, according to the human rights project "OVD-Info" (he was added to the register of foreign agents by the Russian Ministry of Justice).