The head of the Russian department responsible for identifying threats to the “stability, security and integrity” of the internet, has revealed the extent of the Kremlin’s VPN crackdown. Former FSO officer Sergei Khutortsev, a central figure in Russia’s ‘sovereign internet’ project, confirmed that 167 VPN services are now blocked along with over 200 email services. Russia is also reported as stepping up measures against protocols such as OpenVPN, IKEv2 and WireGuard.

Late March 2023, Russia augmented its long-burning VPN crackdown with a series of PSAs claiming that using a VPN for security is actually much worse than not using a VPN at all.

One of the ads warned that VPNs somehow obtain users’ passport details, plus their names, addresses, and dates of birth. Another suggested that since VPNs in Russia know everything about their users, spouses might learn about secret affairs, a high price for accessing a social network blocked in Russia, the PSA added.

Just a few months later, those fairly light-hearted ads can be seen in a whole new light.

Russia’s ongoing VPN crackdown appears to be going in one direction; the end of any VPN service that refuses to play ball, consequences for those who dare to discuss them, and potentially anyone who knowingly uses them. The latter may take some time to emerge but in the meantime, Russia is attempting to remove as many as possible from the market.

According to Interfax, during a presentation to the ‘Spectrum-2023’ forum in Sochi last week, the head of the ‘Center for Monitoring and Control of the Public Communications Network’ (TsMU SSOP) revealed the extent of the Kremlin’s VPN crackdown.

Sergei Khutortsev, a former FSO officer and now a central figure in Russia’s ‘sovereign internet’ project, confirmed that 167 VPN services are now actively blocked after failing to comply with government requirements. Also subject to blocking are more than 200 email services.