Russia turns to AI filters to hunt down VPNs in 2.2-billion-ruble crackdown

Russia spent 2.27B to integrate AI into its national web filtering system It flags VPN connections by analyzing packet timing and server patterns Experts warn the rollout could impact all VPN protocols Russia's communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has reportedly officially deployed machine learnin

<![CDATA[ <article> <ul><li><strong>Russia spent 2.27B to integrate AI into its national web filtering system</strong></li><li><strong>It flags VPN connections by analyzing packet timing and server patterns</strong></li><li><strong>Experts warn the rollout could impact all VPN protocols</strong></li></ul><p>Russia's communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has reportedly officially deployed machine learning filters to choke virtual private networks across the country. </p><p>The state censor poured 2.27 billion rubles into the project, according to government digital transformation documents reviewed by<a href="https://www.forbes.ru/tekhnologii/572263-stop-masina-rkn-vstroil-umnye-tehnologii-v-sistemu-fil-tracii-kontenta-za-rub2-mlrd" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Forbes Russia</a> and reported by<a href="https://ru.themoscowtimes.com/2026/11/13/roskomnadzor-potratil-2-milliardov-rublei-na-ii-dlya-blokirovok-vpn-i-kontenta-v-internete-a211244" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> The Moscow Times</a>.</p><p>The move marks a sharp escalation in the Kremlin's digital barrier. For millions of citizens relying on the<a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/best-vpn"> best VPN</a> software to reach independent news and blocked foreign websites, bypassing censorship is about to become far more difficult.</p><p>Previous leaks suggested<a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/russias-next-tool-to-fight-vpns-appears-to-be-ai-and-the-numbers-suggest-its-scarily-effective"> Russia's next tool to fight VPNs appears to be AI</a>, and these newly revealed procurement records confirm the system is now active. The software integrates directly into ASBI, the centralized architecture used to control the deep packet inspection hardware installed on domestic internet providers.</p><h2 id="hunting-metadata-instead-of-cracking-code">Hunting metadata instead of cracking code</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check="" ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:940px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:57.98%;"><img id="kR5NMftCpqXHUzLxyQTKyF" name="Shutterstock_518318212.jpg" alt="Russia" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kR5NMftCpqXHUzLxyQTKyF-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="940" height="545" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline" /></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Shutterstock)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The AI tool deployed on the agency's internal infrastructure is a predictive model, not a generative chatbot. Instead of attempting to decrypt user content, it searches for behavioral fingerprints in connection <a href="https://www.techradar.com/pro/vpn/what-is-metadata">metadata</a>: packet sizes, transmission intervals, session lengths, and hosting server patterns.</p><p>As Dmitry Kuteynikov, an expert at digital rights organization RKS Global and specialist in AI regulation, explained to TechRadar, the tool is classified as 'intelligent decision support' and counts 101 users. "Our reading is that, at this stage, it helps Roskomnadzor staff decide what to block," he added.</p><p>Kuteynikov warned that, as the model comes into use, blocks are likely to come faster. This means users should expect VPNs to work less reliably, with connections dropping without warning</p><p>Even advanced stealth protocols will struggle to fly under the radar. "Every protocol would become harder to use," Kuteynikov said, explaining that while o<a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-obfuscation-technology-what-it-is-and-when-you-should-use-it">bfuscation</a> hides a protocol’s signature, "the traffic pattern of a tunnel stays visible, and that pattern is exactly what a behavioral model looks for."</p><p>A developer working for Russian provider <a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/amnezia-vpn-review-year">Amnezia VPN</a> also confirmed this. They told TechRadar: "This kind of model could affect a wide range of protocols, because it doesn’t target any single one. It targets the general characteristics of VPN traffic."</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check="" ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1200px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:26.17%;"><img id="Z7QHFc4GHoMhdps5XmntoC" name="LNT-masthead" alt="Leave No Trace logo" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z7QHFc4GHoMhdps5XmntoC-1920-80.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1200" height="314" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline" /></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Future)</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>NEW</strong>: <a href="https://x.wayin.com/display/container/dc/efe848be-588a-4e20-8711-6e02de64b315/details" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><strong>Leave No Trace</strong></a> — A weekly newsletter on digital privacy and online surveillance.</p><p>Leave No Trace investigates the companies and governments putting our digital freedom at risk — and the people fighting back.</p><p>📩 <a href="https://x.wayin.com/display/container/dc/efe848be-588a-4e20-8711-6e02de64b315/details">Subscribe now</a> to get every edition delivered to your inbox every Friday, launching this September.</p><h2 id="rising-collateral-damage-for-businesses">Rising collateral damage for businesses</h2><p>The automated filtering is already causing disruption across Russian business networks. Russian law technically exempts internal corporate VPNs, but enterprise connections look nearly identical to circumvention tunnels under automated inspection.</p><p>As <a href="https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/9027535" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">reported by Kommersant</a>, telecom sources recently noted that traffic analysis algorithms misclassify traffic in 5% to 6% of cases. When Roskomnadzor blacklists entire hosting subnets to sever circumvention servers, unrelated websites and corporate cloud applications collapse alongside them.</p><p>Earlier roadmaps showed that<a href="https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/russia-drafted-plans-for-ai-that-could-block-95-percent-of-vpns-but-the-idea-has-quietly-vanished-from-its-national-roadmap"> Russia drafted plans for AI that could block 95 percent of VPNs</a>. While official targets were quietly revised, funding continues to surge. The Kremlin is already preparing to<a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/russia-to-double-internet-censorship-budget-in-2027-plotting-new-vpn-traffic-fee"> double its internet censorship budget</a> in coming years, with another 10.2 billion rubles allocated to upgrade deep packet inspection boxes in 2026 alone.</p><h2 id="what-this-means-for-vpn-users-in-russia">What this means for VPN users in Russia</h2><p>The digital noose around ordinary users is tightening rapidly. The Kremlin's war on the global web <a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/kremlins-war-on-the-global-web-turned-vpns-into-russias-new-national-utility-study-finds">turned VPNs into Russia's new national utility</a>, with millions turning to privacy software after mainstream social networks and foreign media outlets were banned.</p><p>In response, authorities have banned <a href="https://ria.ru/20260226/roskomnadzor-2076790707.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">over 400 commercial VPN brands</a>,<a href="https://www.techradar.com/pro/vpn/russia-vpn-kremlin-claims-no-blocking-plans-yet-but-usage-may-be-still-at-risk"> outlawed advertising circumvention software</a>, and pressured search engines to wipe guides from search results. Reports also suggest that domestic apps from banks and telecom providers now <a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/major-russian-android-apps-know-whos-using-a-vpn-digital-rights-group-warns">actively scan users' devices to identify installed VPN apps</a> and prompt users to delete them.</p><p>Albeit such a challenging environment, VPN providers are likely working on solutions. "Censors will find ways to block VPN traffic, services will be disrupted for a while, and then they will find a new solution," Amnezia VPN's developer told TechRadar.</p><p>That's why Kuteynikov from RKS Global recommends keeping more than one tool and, if possible, running the VPN on a home router. We then suggest checking our guide with the most secure <a href="https://www.techradar.com/vpn/best-free-vpn">free VPN</a> options on the market right now.</p><div data-widget-type="simple" data-model-name="NordVPN,Surfshark,ExpressVPN,Proton VPN,Norton VPN" data-widget-title="Today's best VPN deals"></div> </article> ]]>