Over recent years, Russia has been intensifying its grip on internet freedom. The nation's regulatory body, Roskomnadzor, has been particularly zealous in blocking VPNs, essential tools that allow individuals and businesses to circumvent internet restrictions. The onset of the conflict in Ukraine saw these efforts increase, with many VPNs falling under the ban, especially those that didn't conform to Russia's expanding blacklist. Recently, this clampdown has taken a more aggressive turn.
On August 7th, numerous VPN users across Russia reported connection challenges. Some had no issues, while others were completely blocked, painting an inconsistent picture which depends on the ISP used. These blocks seemed to target not just the commercial services but even private servers set up by users with foreign providers. Through methods like DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) and TSPU, Roskomnadzor seems to be analyzing traffic types and promptly blocking those identified as VPN connections. As a result, well-known protocols, such as WireGuard and OpenVPN, have become largely inaccessible on many Russian ISPs.
TorGuard has verified that our standard, non-obfuscated OpenVPN and WireGuard services have indeed been impacted. However, this is where our commitment to providing unrestricted internet access shines.
V2Ray Will Continue to Work
For users in Russia determined to bypass these VPN restrictions, it's imperative to get acquainted with the new V2Ray protocols like vless and trojan. Alongside these, tunneling options like SSH tunnels and Shadowsocks present viable solutions. We want to emphasize that TorGuard's premium proxy service is robustly designed to withstand DPI blocking. It has been tried and tested in some of the world's most censor-heavy regions, including China and Iran. As of now, TorGuard's V2ray network operates seamlessly in Russia, and we are optimistic about its continued performance. If you're currently on our VPN plans and are facing difficulties, please reach out to TorGuard support. We can transition you to our V2ray premium proxy service, ensuring a reliable bypass against the looming VPN blockades in Russia.
While the Russian internet might be gradually leaning towards a more isolated model, much like China's, we believe in the resilience of both technology and the human spirit. Despite these challenges, TorGuard remains committed to providing you with the tools and resources to access the open internet. We understand that knowledge and freedom are not just rights, but necessities. Let's navigate these digital challenges together. If you have first hand experience with these ongoing VPN blocks, please submit your feedback to our help desk.
To our valued Russian users: Your dedication to online freedom is commendable. Rest assured, we will not relent in our efforts to provide you with secure, unrestricted internet access. Thank you for your trust and continued support..
