Russia intensifies VPN restrictions after State Duma elections

Russian authorities have tightened restrictions on virtual private networks (VPNs) following recent State Duma elections. At least 10 VPN providers reported stronger network restrictions within one week, according to TechRadar, citing reports from the independent outlet Meduza.

One provider said it had to replace 8 servers in 5 days. Two others said Roskomnadzor, Russia’s state communications watchdog, blocked all their international server locations and IP addresses. Alexey Kozlyuk, chairman of the VPN Guild, told Meduza the restrictions were a continuation of pressure that began in early August, rather than a fundamentally new wave.

Amnezia VPN told TechRadar that the latest blocks had not affected its service. The company said it rebuilt its server infrastructure and updated its protocol after events in June. TechRadar reported that a coordinated attack in June had taken 6 weeks to fully restore Amnezia’s network.

Human Rights Watch said Russia’s attacks on circumvention services threaten access to information, privacy, and freedom of expression. Its report describes bulk IP subnet blocking, phishing aimed at provider employees, and distributed denial-of-service attacks. A study by RKS Global found that at least 30 Russian apps collected users’ VPN IP addresses.

Human Rights Watch reported that Apple removed 1,213 apps in response to Russian government requests in 2025. Google was fined 22.8 million rubles in February 2026 for failing to remove VPNs from the Play Store, according to the report. TechRadar also reported that an estimated 57 million people, about 40% of Russia’s population, use VPNs to access independent news and blocked platforms including Instagram and YouTube.