While a Russian IP address can help you access websites and services outside Russia, it won’t be much help if you’re in Russia. That’s because many sites are blacklisted due to the high level of internet censorship in the country. You’d therefore, need an IP address of another country (such as the US, UK or Australia, for example) in order to access them.
Should you come across a restricted site in Russia, chances are you’ll come across a page with a message that translates as: “Dear users, We apologize, but access to the requested resource is limited.” This is then followed by a list of possible reasons for the restriction.
Some of the most high-profile websites and services that are blocked in Russia include the messaging service Telegram, banned by court order in April 2018, and Dailymotion, a video-sharing service blocked in January 2017. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has also banned several popular websites, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google News, BBC News, NPR, Die Welt, and AOL. You can use our free security tool if you’d like to check if any website is blocked in Russia.
Unfortunately, most VPN websites are also blocked in Russia, making it difficult for citizens in Russia to download VPNs for personal use.