After VPN services gained massive popularity, Russia began actively cracking down on them. Foreign IPs can no longer access domestic resources from Yandex to Wildberries, and a complete ban on VPNs in 2026 has been discussed for months. In this context, a fresh statement from the Ministry of Digital Development looks surprising. They announced that fees for foreign traffic will not be introduced. This refers to the very idea that sparked spring discussions about extra charges for gigabytes routed through VPNs. For regular users, this means that mobile internet bills won’t increase due to foreign traffic for now.

Explaining what the cancellation of VPN fees means

Is It True That Russia Canceled VPN Fees?

The wording is extremely brief. Deputy Head of the Ministry of Digital Development Ivan Lebedev stated at a State Duma session that fees for foreign traffic are not being considered. No new deadlines, rates, or conditions were announced — just a rejection of the idea in its current form.

It’s important to understand that this is a ministry statement, not an adopted law or the repeal of an already existing rule. There was never a separate fee for foreign traffic in Russia — only the possibility of introducing one was discussed. So this isn’t about canceling something that was already in effect, but about refusing to move in that direction.

VPN Fees in Russia — The Core Idea

Back in March, Forbes, citing a source, reported that Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadaev asked operators to introduce fees for international traffic exceeding a certain volume starting May 1. According to that information, everything exceeding 15 GB of international traffic per month on mobile networks was proposed to become paid.

The idea was to charge money for VPN traffic

The amounts mentioned were significant: Russians could have been required to pay an average of 150 rubles for each extra gigabyte. The measure was conceived as a tool to fight VPN services — that is, applications that route your traffic through foreign servers. It was precisely the VPN connection that raised so many questions: the restriction would have applied to any traffic coming from a foreign IP.

Why VPN Fees Were Canceled in Russia

Even before this statement, the idea was progressing with difficulty. Sources from Vedomosti who participated in discussions with the Ministry of Digital Development said that operators asked to postpone the introduction of fees for VPN traffic. The reason was technical: according to two sources, companies simply weren’t ready to collect such fees within the stated timeline due to difficulties setting up accounting and billing systems.

We’ve already covered in detail how this measure was postponed and what the traffic costs might have been. Against the backdrop of these postponements, the fresh statement from the Ministry of Digital Development looks like a logical continuation: first the deadlines were pushed back, now they say fees are not being considered at all.

What Will Happen to the Internet in Russia

The practical takeaway is simple: there will be no additional fees for foreign traffic right now. If you use a VPN, foreign apps, foreign games, or Google services, your mobile plan shouldn’t suddenly become more expensive because some of your traffic goes abroad. Specifically:

  • There will be no gigabyte counter for foreign IP traffic in your plan;
  • The 15 GB international traffic threshold reported by media remains only in discussions;
  • The 150 ruble surcharge per extra gigabyte is not being introduced for now.

However, keep in mind: this is not a guarantee for the future. The ministry said the measure is “not being considered” right now — but blocking specific services, internet whitelists, speed throttling, and other methods of pressuring VPN usage exist separately and are independent of traffic fees.