Finance
Russia Goes After VPNs as 'great Crackdown' Gathers Pace
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 31, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 31, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleQuick Summary
Russia is intensifying its crackdown on VPNs—blocking access to nearly 439 services by mid‑January 2026, deploying sophisticated protocol‑level and AI‑based detection to curb circumvention, yet VPN demand continues to surge.
Russia Cracks Down on VPNs as Internet Restrictions Expand Post-Ukraine Invasion
Russia's Intensifying Internet Controls and VPN Crackdown
By Guy Faulconbridge
Government Efforts to Limit VPN Usage
MOSCOW, March 31 (Reuters) - Russia is going to further clamp down Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which are used by millions of Russians to get around internet controls and censorship, Russia's digital minister said.
In what has been cast by diplomats as Russia's "great crackdown", the authorities have repeatedly blocked mobile internet and jammed major messenger services while giving sweeping powers to cut off mass communications.
Official Statements and Policy Measures
"The task is reduce VPN usage," Digital Minister Maksut Shadayev said on state-backed messenger MAX late on Monday, adding that his ministry was trying to impose the limits with minimal impact on users.
He said decisions had been taken to restrict access to a number of unidentified foreign platforms without giving details.
Post-Ukraine Invasion Repression
After the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia imposed the most repressive laws seen since Soviet times, ordering censorship and bolstering the influence of the Federal Security Service, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB.
Escalation of Internet Restrictions
But in recent months, the state has gone much further: it blocked WhatsApp, has slowed down Telegram and has repeatedly jammed mobile internet in Moscow and other cities and regions.
Kremlin's Justification for Restrictions
The Kremlin says foreign platforms have failed to abide by the law and that mobile internet restrictions are necessary to counter mass Ukrainian drone strikes.
The Cat-and-Mouse Game with VPNs
By mid-January, Russia had blocked more than 400 VPNs, 70% more than late last year, according to the Kommersant newspaper.
But it is a game of cat and mouse: as soon as the authorities take down one VPN, another appears and many young Russians change their VPNs daily, according to Reuters reporters.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
Key Takeaways
- •By mid‑January 2026, Roskomnadzor had restricted access to 439 VPN services—a 70% rise over autumn 2025. (www1.ru)
- •Authorities now block VPN protocols like OpenVPN, WireGuard, L2TP, SOCKS5 using DPI and AI detection tools under Decree 1667. (websiterating.com)
- •Despite crackdown, VPN usage skyrockets: active users of top five services grew from ~247 000 to over 6 million. (www1.ru)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Russia goes after VPNs as 'great crackdown' gathers pace
1Why is Russia cracking down on VPNs?
The crackdown aims to reduce VPN usage to prevent citizens from bypassing internet controls and censorship imposed after the Ukraine invasion.
2How many VPNs has Russia blocked?
By mid-January, Russia had blocked more than 400 VPNs, a 70% increase since late last year.
3What methods is Russia using to restrict internet freedom?
Authorities have blocked mobile internet, jammed major messenger services, and restricted access to foreign platforms.
4Who is responsible for implementing Russia's internet restrictions?
Digital Minister Maksut Shadayev and the Federal Security Service are overseeing these measures.
