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   Russias battle against VPNs is entering a new phase: Here's what to expect in   
   2026   
      
   Date:   
   Sat, 24 Jan 2026 07:00:00 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   New laws and sophisticated blocking techniques are making VPN use in Russia   
   increasingly difficult. Here's what changed last year and what to expect over   
   the next 12 months.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   The Kremlin's quest to build a national, closed internet intensified last year.   
      
   Russia's censorship body, Roskomnadzor, blocked 1.3 million web pages in 12   
   months, according to recent data . That's a 59% increase compared with the   
   previous year.    
      
   In response, virtual private networks (VPN) have become a essential for    
   people to maintain access to blocked content. However, VPNs are now   
   increasingly under attack themselves and reportedly represent the   
   "fastest-growing" category of blocked sites.    
      
   I spoke with leading VPN and digital rights experts in Russia about how last   
   year shaped the country's battle against VPNs and what to expect this year.   
      
   2025: a "particularly challenging" year    
      
   Last year was "particularly challenging," according to Mazay Banzaev, Founder   
   of Russia-based Amnezia VPN.    
      
   Banzaev explained that, currently, most VPN protocols are blocked in the   
   country. "At present, only VPN protocols that disguise themselves as other   
   network protocols continue to function," he said.    
      
   The likes of XRay (VLESS, VMess, Trojan), NaiveProxy, and Hysteria generally   
   still work, though he warned that they could be blocked if "poorly   
   configured."    
      
   The escalation comes as Russian censors continue to refine their DPI-based   
   filtering systems, growing their reliance on AI and other sophisticated   
   traffic analysis methods.    
      
   Over the summer, Roskomnadzor almost completely blocked unidentified UDP   
   traffic. This prompted the team at Amnezia to upgrade its    
   censorship-resistant AmneziaWG protocol. "Overall, it operates stably, though   
   the regulator periodically blocks its signatures, necessitating regular   
   updates," Banzaev said.    
      
   The filtering model, however, is designed for protecting the "legitimate" use   
   of VPNs. Banzaev explains that Roskomnadzor uses whitelisting techniques to   
   ensure that selected organizations can still use their business VPN . "All   
   other companies and services face the same problems as ordinary users," he   
   added.   
      
   Popular VPNs struggle to work   
      
   Banzaev claims that popular Western VPN services such as NordVPN , Proton VPN,   
   and ExpressVPN are "effectively non-functional" in the country.   
      
   A spokesperson for NordVPN confirmed to TechRadar that the service does not   
   operate in the region and has "no plans to return under the present   
   circumstances." The provider was also among those that pulled its physical   
   servers from Russia in 2019 following demands for data access, before exiting   
   the market entirely after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.    
      
   However, David Peterson, General Manager at Proton VPN, paints a slightly   
   different picture. He explained that while the environment is challenging,    
   the service still works for many users, though reliability varies "on any   
   given day."    
      
   " Proton VPN's Stealth protocol is resistant to deep packet inspection (DPI).   
   However, Russian authorities have also taken the additional step of blocking   
   the IP addresses (and IP address ranges) of many VPN servers, meaning that   
   multiple attempts may still be required to connect."    
      
   Similarly, an ExpressVPN spokesperson told TechRadar that connectivity in the   
   region remains generally functional despite the difficulties.    
      
   "VPN connectivity can be challenging in some countries, and conditions can   
   change over time. We continuously monitor network performance and work to   
   maintain reliable access for users wherever possible," the company stated.    
      
   Despite these assurances, the situation remains volatile. On January 20,   
   Windscribe confirmed a new wave of blocks, recording an almost 90% drop in   
   Russian traffic .   
      
   Roskomnadzor as a "super-regulator"    
      
   The Kremlin's ability to restrict access to VPNs has significantly increased   
   this year. Thanks to the passing of Government Decree No. 1667 in late October   
   2025, Roskomnadzor is now capable of blocking content directly, rather than   
   relying on telecom operators and ISPs.   
      
   Sarkis Darbinyan, a cyber lawyer and expert at RKS Global , said the agency   
   has become a "super-regulator."    
      
   It can now "block virtually any service or application using DPI technology   
   installed across all operators network nodes," Darbinyan told TechRadar. Do   
   you know? (Image credit: Amnezia VPN) Amnezia VPN is a self-hosted,   
   open-source tool designed specifically to bypass state-enforced censorship.   
   Its code is fully accessible, allowing anyone with the technical knowledge to   
   independently audit its security.    
      
   This technical and legal escalation has coincided with an increased crackdown   
   on websites that promote the use of VPNs and other circumvention tools.    
      
   According to the latest data , Roskomnadzor restricted access to 12,600   
   materials that promoted VPNs between January and April 2025 alone  twice the   
   total for all of 2024. Pressure on Apple and Google to remove VPNs from their   
   Russian app stores has also continued.    
      
   In July, lawmakers passed a law penalizing the search for 'extremist'    
   content, introducing fresh fines for those accessing illegal material via a   
   VPN. Experts described the move as "a new chapter in repressive internet   
   regulation in Russia."    
      
   Alexey Kozliuk, Chairman of the industry group VPN Guild, told TechRadar:   
   "While Russia does not yet have a formal ban on installing and using VPNs for   
   citizens, as in Turkmenistan, the trajectory is clear."   
      
   What next for 2026?    
      
   While the push to migrate users to domestic applications like the   
   Kremlin-backed "superapp" MAX is set to continue in 2026, experts believe    
   that VPN blocking will only intensify.    
      
   It appears the state has the resources to back this ambition. According to   
   Kozliuk, censors will have access to 60 billion rubles (~$780 million)    
   between 2025 and 2027 "to strengthen VPN-blocking technologies."    
      
   Additionally, Forbes Russia reported that Roskomnadzor is set to allocate    
   2.27 billion rubles (~$29 million) to build an AI-powered traffic filtering   
   mechanism designed to better detect and block prohibited content and VPN   
   connections.    
      
   However, the battle against VPNs is not unique to Russia. The VPN Guild is   
   increasingly concerned by the shifting narrative around circumvention tools    
   in Western democracies, too.    
      
   That's why, according to the guild, the wider industry must unite to protect   
   the legitimacy of these privacy tools.    
      
   "When a trend becomes global, the response must be global as well," said   
   Kozliuk. "Participating in the ' Defend VPNs' Day of Action 2025 showed that   
   the space for cooperation and knowledge sharing needs to be strengthened and   
   expanded in 2026."    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-services/russias-battle-against-vpns-is-ente   
   ring-a-new-phase-heres-what-to-expect-in-2026   
      
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