Russia's Digital Development Ministry has begun targeting websites that disguise themselves as resources from the 'white list' but contain content banned in Russia, including advertisements for VPN services, RBC reported. The ministry sent a letter to hosting providers, web protection services and CDN providers asking them to allocate IP addresses of whitelisted resources into separate subnets.
The move is intended to 'exclude the possibility of using IP addresses' from the 'white list' by organizations that have not received the appropriate approval. One of the publication's sources explained that foreign sites can currently end up on 'white lists': when a company connects, checks are carried out, but later the owner can change the content — 'first declare an online store, and then place a VPN or something else in the gray zone.' According to RBC, the Federal Security Service (FSB) has already approved the proposed mechanism.
'White lists' — lists of sites that must remain accessible during mobile internet shutdowns — appeared in Russia in autumn 2025. They include government agency resources, payment services, marketplaces, transport companies and VK services. Many of them use shared IP addresses from hosting providers, CDNs and DDoS protection systems, so a single address can be shared by dozens of clients.
Sergei Boyarsky, head of the State Duma committee on information policy, said authorities are 'trying in every way to wean people, especially young people, off being online with a VPN constantly turned on, because it is unsafe.' According to him, such services can lead users 'into corners of the internet' from whose dangers the state is trying to shield them. The deputy himself, as he claims, does not use a VPN.
In late March, Digital Development Minister Maksut Shadayev said his agency had been tasked with reducing the use of VPN services in the country. Telecom operators were ordered to prepare the introduction of fees for consuming more than 15 GB of foreign traffic and not to expand data transmission channels to Europe, while large companies were told to block access to their resources for those connecting via VPN. According to Forbes, President Vladimir Putin gave the order to intensify the fight against these services 'in a closed directive.'