On April 16, 2026, around 20 Russian telecommunications companies signed a permanent moratorium on expanding communication channels toward Europe. The document was signed at a closed meeting with Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadaev.
Among the participants are the country's largest operators: Rostelecom, MTS, VympelCom (Beeline), T2 Mobile, MMTS-9 (MSK-IX), Transtelecom, Ufanet, and approximately 13 other companies. In essence, this represents a consolidated industry-wide decision.
The Choking Mechanism: Why This Will Kill VPN
The state has chosen a clever strategy — not to block VPNs directly, but to create conditions under which they degrade naturally. The logic is simple:
- VPN traffic is growing — Russians are increasingly using bypass tools following the mass blockades of 2024–2026.
- Channel expansion is frozen — operators can no longer increase European channel capacity without approval from the Ministry of Digital Development.
- Bandwidth fills up — as traffic grows against unchanged channel capacity, speeds inevitably drop.
- VPN slows down on its own — without a single block order, without a formal ban.
New Requirements for Operators
In addition to the moratorium itself, operators are subject to a number of additional obligations:
- Any expansion of cross-border channels requires prior approval from the Ministry of Digital Development.
- Monthly reporting on cross-border traffic volumes.
- An effective ban on independent commercial decisions regarding international connectivity.
Side Effect: Foreign Services Forced Inside Russia
Another goal of the moratorium is to pressure foreign IT companies. If the capacity of European channels does not grow, foreign services wanting to provide acceptable speeds for Russian users will be forced to place servers directly inside Russia — and thus under Russian jurisdiction and regulatory control.
What This Means for Users
In the short term, changes will be imperceptible: channels are not yet saturated. But as VPN traffic grows, speeds will fall — especially during peak hours. Services with European connection points will be hit hardest.
• RBC — About 20 telecom companies signed a moratorium on expanding channels to Europe
• iXBT — Russian telecom companies signed a permanent moratorium
• Habr — Moratorium on communication channels with Europe
• Meduza — Operators agreed to freeze expansion of channels to Europe to fight VPN use
• Moscow Times — To fight VPNs, operators banned from expanding internet channels to Europe
