Russian users downloaded VPN apps 9.2 million times on Google Play in March 2026, which is 14 times more than in March 2025, state-affiliated business daily Kommersant reported on Tuesday, citing data from the online service Digital Budget.
VPN downloads in Russia surge 14-fold amid Kremlin’s internet restrictions
Photo: Vasily Kuzmichyónok / Moscow News Agency
Russian users downloaded VPN apps 9.2 million times on Google Play in March 2026, which is 14 times more than in March 2025, state-affiliated business daily Kommersant reported on Tuesday, citing data from the online service Digital Budget.
The data indicates that over the year from March 2025 to March 2026, VPN services were downloaded 35.7 million times in Russia. The months with the most downloads were January–March 2026, which saw 21.27 million downloads.
Experts who spoke to Kommersant noted that despite the authorities’ intentions, the actual result of internet restrictions has been people using major platforms less often, rather than abandoning VPNs. One source told the newspaper that this is already showing up in declining sales on online retail platforms, for example.
The Russian government has taken extensive steps to curb citizens’ Internet access in recent months, throttling messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram and regularly restricting internet access to a state-approved “whitelist” of websites and services.
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