Kremlin Plans Economic “Digital Iron Curtain” to Squelch VPN Use

Russia is moving toward a state-controlled internet by imposing fees on international traffic and drastic licensing hikes that threaten to bankrupt over 90% of the country’s independent providers. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied A woman looks at her mobile phone as she walks in front of the State Historical Museum in Moscow on April 15, 2026. (Photo by Igor IVANKO / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google The Russian Ministry of Digital Development is developing a system of measures designed to transform the Russian segment of the internet into a state-controlled infrastructure. According to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine , the strategy avoids blunt blockages in favor of economic and licensing suppression, which users will experience through rising bills and a lack of alternatives. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . A primary initiative involves charging mobile subscribers for international internet traffic at a rate of approximately 2 dollars per gigabyte. Intelligence officials note that while this is officially presented as a new tariff model, the true goal is to make constant VPN usage financially unbearable, as most VPN traffic could be classified as international. Mobile operators have reportedly requested a delay until at least September 1 to implement these changes. The reform also targets the provider market by drastically raising the financial thresholds for licensing. The current 17 types of licenses will be reduced to three, with capital requirements increasing from about 134 dollars to 66,000 dollars for a basic license and over 1.3 million dollars for a general license. Intelligence forecasts suggest that over 90% of the 4,200 existing small providers face liquidation or takeover, consolidating the market under a few federal structures. Furthermore, the Kremlin plans to mandate the installation of SORM, a system providing the FSB with direct access to user data, with significantly shortened deadlines. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine Strikes Russian Warships and Shadow Tanker in Primorsk Port President Zelensky confirmed a successful joint operation that disabled a Karakurt-class missile ship and a shadow fleet tanker in the Leningrad region. This follows recent efforts to suppress platforms like Telegram, which was fully blocked on April 10 . Moscow has justified the ban by claiming the service facilitates criminal activity, while simultaneously  promoting its new “national” messenger, MAX .  Later, Telegram founder Pavel Durov has urged users to utilize multiple VPN services to maintain access , noting that approximately 65 million Russians still access the app daily despite the ban. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.