Russia Pulls the Plug: WhatsApp, YouTube, and Telegram Hit by Sweeping DNS Blocks

Russia's Most Aggressive Internet Crackdown Yet

Russia has taken its most drastic step yet in controlling its citizens' access to the internet, removing the domains of WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and dozens of other Western services from its national Domain Name System on February 10, 2026.

Unlike previous measures that merely throttled speeds, this approach makes the platforms effectively invisible. When users attempt to access these services, their devices receive error messages indicating the domains simply do not exist.

How It Works

Under the sovereign internet law passed in 2019, Russian internet providers are required to route traffic through the National Domain Name System managed by Roskomnadzor, the state communications regulator. By removing platform domains from this system, the authorities have created a scenario where standard internet connections cannot resolve the addresses of blocked services.

Telegram Also Targeted

The DNS blocks accompanied new restrictions on Telegram, with Roskomnadzor announcing measures on February 10 that disrupted users' ability to load media, send messages, and access the application. Telegram faces fines of 64 million roubles for allegedly failing to remove prohibited content. Founder Pavel Durov responded sharply, accusing Russia of trying to force citizens onto a state-controlled surveillance app.

The State-Backed Alternative

The crackdowns coincide with aggressive promotion of Max, a messaging application developed by VK and required to be pre-installed on all devices sold in Russia since September 2025. While Max reached 70 million monthly users by December 2025, it still trails WhatsApp and Telegram, which had 94.5 million and 93.6 million monthly users respectively.

Critics warn that Max was designed for surveillance, requiring a Russian or Belarusian SIM card and built for integration with government services. The app is run by a company whose chief executive is the son of Putin's First Deputy Chief of Staff.

VPN Escape Routes Closing

Russian authorities have also intensified their crackdown on VPN services. Deep packet inspection equipment deployed across the country's networks can now detect and block standard VPN protocols like WireGuard and OpenVPN within seconds, leaving citizens with increasingly limited options to bypass the restrictions.