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![handle is hein.crs/goveflr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional
*.Research Service
informing the I gislative debate since 1914___________________
A Revisit of the Domain Name System After
Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
March 23, 2022
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo
Fedorov asked the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to sanction Russia's
internet access. Federov requested changes to the domain name system (DNS)-revoking the top-level
domains .ru, .pct, and .su and shutting down four DNS root servers located in Russia-to help
users seek for reliable information in alternative domain zones. ICANN responded that (1) ICANN does
not take unilateral action to disconnect domains, and (2) independent operators maintain the
geographically distributed DNS root server system. Further, ICANN stated it has neither the authority nor
ability to impose sanctions as it does not control internet access or content.
Days after ICANN turned down Ukraine's request, two top-tier U.S.-based internet service providers
terminated their services in Russia. In an open letter to the Biden Administration, 41 civil society
organizations that advocate for digital rights cautioned against sanctions that would disrupt internet access
for Russian users and inhibit their ability to access factual information and organize opposition to the war.
The White House reportedly stated that it would be ill-advised to limit the people of Russia's access to
the internet, and the U.S. government has not taken any actions to block [their access].
Domain Names and DNS Root Servers in Russia
Internet users can use domain names (see examples in Figure 1 and Figure 2) to locate online resources
(e.g., web pages, email servers, and files hosted by a server). The rightmost textual segment separated by
the dot represents the top-level domain (TLD). TLDs fall into two classes-generic TLDs (gTLDs) such
as .com, .org, .gov, and .edu, and two-letter country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) defined by the ISO
3166 standard. In Ukraine's request, .ru is the ccTLD reserved for use in Russia; .su was the ccTLD
registered by the Soviet Union but that remains in use by Russia; and .pi (representing rf' in Cyrillic)
is another Russian ccTLD under ICANN's Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) program.
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
IN11898
CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/goveflr0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)