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Russia’s planned budget for the next three years includes nearly 60 billion rubles for internet traffic filtering, according to a Meduza report published October 8, 2026. The report also describes proposed measures that could raise mobile internet costs for VPN users and bring corporate networks under tighter FSB oversight; the details and implementation status of those proposals are not clear.
Russia plans to allocate nearly 60 billion rubles over the next three years to filter internet traffic, according to a report published by Meduza on October 8, 2026, as authorities consider additional measures aimed at people and organizations that bypass online blocks. The reported proposals include making mobile internet more expensive for VPN users and putting corporate networks under stricter Federal Security Service oversight, though the report does not provide implementation details.
The planned allocation would mark a new phase in a decade-long effort to restrict access to blocked websites and services, Meduza reported. The outlet described the sum as a record budget for traffic filtering. The report did not specify how the money would be divided, which agencies or contractors would receive it, or whether the spending has received final approval.
Meduza also reported that Russia’s Digital Development Ministry wants to increase the cost of mobile internet for people using VPNs, while separate plans would subject companies’ corporate networks to stricter FSB oversight. The report does not describe the proposed pricing mechanism, how VPN use would be identified, or what new powers or obligations the corporate-network oversight would involve.
The proposals follow measures adopted over several years. A 2017 law required VPN providers to block access to websites banned in Russia or risk being blocked themselves. Rules introduced in 2018 barred internet providers from putting news or instructions about accessing restricted resources on pages shown to users whose access had been blocked. In 2019, a law on the “sovereign internet” enabled centralized management of Russia’s internet infrastructure and required telecom operators to install traffic-filtering equipment known as TSPU.
More Pressure on VPN Access
The proposed spending matters because traffic filtering is the infrastructure that allows Russian authorities to restrict access to online resources. A larger budget could support expanded or sustained filtering, although the report does not specify what capabilities the planned funding would buy. The consequences will depend on how the money is allocated and how the filtering systems are used.
Potentially higher mobile internet costs would add a financial barrier alongside technical blocks. If adopted as described, the measure could affect people who use VPNs to reach services blocked in Russia, as well as organizations that rely on encrypted connections. The report does not establish how widely such a pricing policy would apply or whether it would distinguish personal from work use.
The corporate-network proposal could also affect businesses and institutions that need secure, reliable connections across locations. Tighter oversight could mean new monitoring or compliance requirements, but those effects cannot be assessed without the proposal’s text. For readers, the key point is that the reported plans extend beyond blocking individual services: they could reach the cost of connectivity and the management of organizational networks.
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A Decade of Filtering Measures
Russia’s current system developed through a series of laws and enforcement efforts. In 2017, lawmakers added provisions to the information law requiring services that help users reach blocked resources to cooperate with Russian restrictions. The measure did not outlaw all VPN use. Instead, providers were expected to filter users’ traffic in Russia; Roskomnadzor, the internet regulator, could instruct telecom operators to block services that did not comply. The law included exemptions for government agencies and certain business uses.
In 2018, authorities set rules for the notices internet providers displayed when a site was inaccessible. Those pages could not include news content or information explaining how to reach restricted resources. The restrictions followed earlier discussion of fines for promoting VPN use, though Meduza reported that no separate fine was ultimately introduced.
The 2019 “sovereign internet” law created a framework for centralized management during what authorities defined as threats to the stability, security or integrity of internet operations. It also required operators to install TSPU filtering equipment. In October 2023, Roskomnadzor chief Andrey Lipov said all communications nodes in Russia were covered by the equipment. That statement was attributed to Lipov; the supplied report does not independently verify the extent or performance of the systems.
Authorities began targeting individual VPN services in 2021, after Roskomnadzor chief Andrey Lipov warned that services ignoring Russian rules could be blocked. The regulator named multiple services it was restricting that year. Meduza’s timeline presents the new funding and proposed measures as the latest developments in that broader effort, rather than as a single newly enacted ban.
“The budget for the next three years includes a record 60 billion rubles for traffic filtering.”
— Meduza, in its October 8, 2026 report
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Details Still Await Official Confirmation
The reported budget figure and policy proposals are not accompanied in the supplied material by official budget documents, draft legal texts, or statements from the Digital Development Ministry, the FSB or Roskomnadzor. It is not clear whether the proposed allocation has been formally approved, how it would be spent, or when any new measures might take effect.
Key questions include how the government would identify VPN use for mobile pricing, what rates or exemptions might apply, and which corporate networks would face additional oversight. The report also does not say whether the proposals would require new legislation or could be introduced through existing regulations. Until those details emerge, the effects on individual users and businesses remain uncertain.
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Watch for Budget and Policy Texts
The next developments to watch are the formal approval and publication of the three-year budget, followed by any regulations or legislation setting out how the reported plans would work. Official documents could clarify which agencies control the funds, the timetable for spending, and whether the proposed mobile pricing and FSB oversight measures are included as binding policy.
Until those texts or official statements are available, the 60 billion-ruble figure and additional restrictions should be treated as reported plans, not as proof that every measure has been enacted. Further reporting may establish whether the proposals change, face delays, or move toward implementation.
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Key Questions
How much does Russia plan to spend on traffic filtering?
Meduza reported that the budget for the next three years includes nearly 60 billion rubles for traffic filtering. The supplied material does not include a breakdown or final approval documents.
Does Russia’s 2017 law ban all VPNs?
No. As described by Meduza, the law required VPN providers to filter users’ traffic in Russia and block access to restricted resources. Services that did not comply could be blocked by telecom operators on Roskomnadzor’s instructions.
What new measures are being considered?
Meduza reported proposals to make mobile internet more expensive for VPN users and to place corporate networks under stricter FSB oversight. The report does not give details about how either policy would work.
What is TSPU?
TSPU is the Russian acronym for technical means of countering threats: hardware and software systems installed by telecom operators under the 2019 sovereign internet framework. Meduza says the systems enable traffic filtering and site or service blocking.
Have the new plans taken effect?
The supplied report describes planned spending and proposed restrictions, but does not establish that the budget has received final approval or that the additional measures have taken effect.
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