In short: By February 2026, Roskomnadzor restricted access to 469 VPN services — one and a half times more than a year earlier. The blocking operates on three independent levels: the RKN registry, protocol filtering via TSPU, and removal from app stores. Blocked services include NordVPN, ProtonVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN. Individual users face no fines for using a blocked VPN: penalties apply to the services themselves, not to users.
The question of which VPNs are blocked is distinct from whether VPN use is legal in Russia — these are different legal questions. The second is covered in detail in our article on VPN legality in Russia.
Three Levels of VPN Blocking in Russia: What They Mean
VPN blocking in Russia is not a single mechanism but a system of three independent layers. A service can be blocked at one level, two levels, or all three simultaneously. Understanding this structure explains why different services stop working in different ways.
The RKN Registry — Official List
Roskomnadzor maintains an official registry of VPN services with restricted access in Russia. A service ends up there for a single reason: refusing to connect to the RKN's FGIS federal information system and filter prohibited resources under Federal Law No. 276. The registry itself is not published publicly; however, RKN periodically reports aggregate statistics — that is how the figure of 469 services as of February 2026 became known.
Being included in the registry means that internet service providers are obligated to block traffic to that service's servers. This happens at the level of IP addresses or domains listed in the registry. Technically, RKN uses TSPU — equipment installed at all major network nodes.
Protocol Blocking via TSPU
TSPU — Technical Means for Countering Threats — is Deep Packet Inspection equipment that telecom operators are required to install at state expense. TSPU analyses not only IP addresses and domains but also traffic characteristics, or "signatures", of specific protocols. That is why since February 2026, WireGuard has been completely blocked and OpenVPN in its standard configuration is partially blocked: TSPU recognizes their traffic patterns even without tying to a specific address. For a deeper look at the blocking mechanism, see our article on how VPNs are blocked in Russia.
From 1 March 2026, TSPU received updated ML algorithms backed by a 2.3 billion ruble budget. This made protocol detection more precise: standard WireGuard and OpenVPN configurations are now identified with higher confidence.
Removal from App Stores
The third level is removal from the Russian segment of the App Store and Google Play. According to vitvet.com and Zona.media, by March 2026 approximately 717 VPN applications had been removed from the Russian App Store. Google Play removed approximately 24 apps; RKN sent requests for 47 more. Additionally, from April 2026 Apple blocked Russian bank card payments in the App Store, limiting the ability to pay for foreign subscriptions.
Statistics: How Many VPNs Are Blocked in 2026?
The number of blocked VPN services has grown sharply over the past three years — and particularly fast between October 2025 and February 2026. Data from open sources (Izvestia, vitvet.com):
| Period | Blocked services | Change |
|---|---|---|
| October 2023 | 167 | — |
| October 2025 | 258 | +55% over 2 years |
| February 2026 | 469 | +82% over 4 months |
The jump from 258 to 469 services — roughly 82% in under six months — signals an acceleration of RKN's regulatory activity in late 2025 and early 2026. This coincided with new legislation on liability for advertising VPN services; see our article on the VPN advertising ban.
Which Specific VPN Services Are on the RKN Registry?
The RKN registry is closed, but data from open sources, the App Store, and Google Play makes it possible to identify the most widely known services with restricted access in Russia.
Major Commercial Services
Among those blocked are the four largest global VPN providers. The table below is based on data from vitvet.com and public statements from the services themselves:
| Service | RKN registry status | App Store (RU) | Google Play (RU) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN | Blocked | Removed | Removed |
| ProtonVPN | Blocked | Removed | Removed |
| Surfshark | Blocked | Removed | Removed |
| ExpressVPN | Blocked | Removed | Removed |
Beyond these four, dozens of lesser-known providers are also in the registry. The general principle: all commercial VPN services that refused to comply with Federal Law No. 276 requirements are already in the registry or on track to be added.
Why These Services — The Reason for Blocking
The reason is the same for all: refusal to connect to the RKN's FGIS and filter resources prohibited under Russian law. NordVPN, ProtonVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN market themselves as no-logs services and publicly refused to comply with FZ-276 requirements, citing incompatibility with their privacy policies.
The key point: a service is added to the registry not for any content or user actions, but for refusing to integrate with a state information system. It is the provider that is blocked — not individual users.
Legal Basis: What Law Underpins the Blocking
Russia's VPN blocking system rests on two key pieces of legislation adopted three years apart. For a detailed analysis of the legal side, see our article on VPN legality in Russia.
Federal Law No. 276 (FZ-276, 2017)
Federal Law of 29 July 2017 No. 276-FZ is the legal foundation of the entire blocking system. The law required VPN services, anonymisers, and search engines to connect to RKN's Federal State Information System (FGIS) and filter prohibited resources from the RKN registry. Refusing to connect to FGIS within the specified deadline became sufficient grounds for inclusion in the blocking registry.
Government Decree No. 127 (2020)
Government Decree No. 127 of 12 February 2020 established the specific procedure for restricting access to VPN services: technical requirements for connecting to FGIS, notification timelines, and the procedure for adding services to the registry. Based on this decree, RKN sends notifications to specific services and, if there is no response within 30 days, forwards the information to telecom operators for blocking.
What a VPN Service Must Do to Stay Off the List
Requirements for a VPN provider under FZ-276 and Government Decree No. 127:
- Obtain access to FGIS from RKN and technically connect to the prohibited resources registry.
- Filter prohibited resources from the registry — meaning restrict access to RKN-listed sites through its own infrastructure.
- Not anonymise traffic when a user accesses resources from the registry.
- Retain and provide on request user data in accordance with telecommunications legislation.
Complying with these requirements while maintaining a genuine no-logs policy is technically impossible — which is precisely why all major international VPN providers refused to connect to FGIS.
Protocol Blocking: WireGuard and OpenVPN in 2026
Since February 2026, TSPU fully blocks WireGuard traffic in its standard configuration. OpenVPN is partially blocked: its standard UDP mode is blocked, while less common configurations pass through in some cases. This is confirmed by SecurityLab.ru citing technical traffic analysis.
Protocol blocking is not tied to a specific VPN provider: it applies to any traffic with WireGuard or standard OpenVPN characteristics, regardless of which server is at the other end. For more on the characteristics of each protocol, see our article on VPN protocols.
Blocking in 2026 therefore operates on two parallel levels: by address (RKN registry — specific providers' IPs and domains) and by protocol signature (TSPU — regardless of address). The second level is fundamentally broader: it affects any infrastructure using standard WireGuard or OpenVPN.
Corporate VPN: Exemptions from Blocking
Blockings have not affected corporate VPNs registered with CMUSS — the Centre for Monitoring and Administration of the Public Communications Network. This is an important exemption for businesses.
What the Whitelist (CMUSS) Is
CMUSS maintains a registry of IP addresses exempt from TSPU blocking — the so-called "whitelist". According to vitvet.com, by April 2025 approximately 75,000 IP addresses were registered in this list. Traffic to these addresses is not blocked by ISPs even when it matches VPN protocol signatures.
How an Organisation Gets on the Whitelist
An organisation submits an application to the Ministry of Digital Development (Mintsifry) with a business justification for VPN use — typically connectivity with overseas offices, remote access to corporate resources, or work with international counterparties. After review, the IP addresses of the corporate VPN infrastructure are added to the CMUSS whitelist. The process takes several weeks and requires periodic updates when infrastructure changes.
What Does Blocking Mean for an Ordinary User?
Blocking a VPN service has two independent aspects — technical and legal. They are often conflated, leading to incorrect conclusions.
No Fines for Users of Blocked VPN Services
Article 13.53 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences provides liability for using VPN to access extremist materials — a completely separate offence unrelated to simply using a blocked service. There is no fine for an individual user for using a VPN on the RKN registry.
The law targets VPN providers, advertisers, and app stores — not end users. Fines for advertising VPN services range from 50,000 to 80,000 rubles for individuals and up to 500,000 rubles for legal entities. For more, see our articles on VPN fines in Russia and the VPN advertising ban law.
Technical Consequences: The App Stops Working
In practice, blocking means: the blocked provider's app is either already unavailable for download from the Russian app store, or when launched it cannot establish a connection to the server. This happens because TSPU operators block traffic at the server IP address level and by protocol signatures.
Legal Consequences: What Actually Applies
For an individual using VPN for ordinary purposes — protecting traffic on public networks, privacy, corporate remote access — there is no legal liability. The sole exception is using VPN to access materials recognised as extremist, or in other cases explicitly provided for by the Criminal Code.
If you use VPN as a tool to protect your traffic and privacy on public networks, check your provider's status in the RKN registry and whether its app is available in app stores. LiMP VPN supports current protocols and is available for download. Pricing plans.
Forecast: Will All VPNs Be Blocked in Russia?
The question of a total VPN ban is periodically raised at the governmental level. Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadaev stated in March 2026 that introducing fines for users was something he "categorically dislikes", with a charge for traffic exceeding 15 GB per month being considered as an alternative regulatory mechanism.
Technically, a full block on all VPNs is feasible through complete rollout of protocol blocking via TSPU with continuous signature updates. Practically, corporate VPNs on the CMUSS whitelist will be exempted: they are essential for Russian businesses dealing with international counterparties.
The 2023–2026 trend: blockings expand incrementally — first the RKN registry, then app store removals, then protocol blocking. The pace is accelerating. At the same time, the regulator has not introduced liability for end users and, according to Mintsifry's public statements, does not plan to.