Foreign SIM cards in Russia have stopped bypassing resource blockages.

      Roaming, which previously allowed bypassing national restrictions, no longer works. Foreign SIM cards used in Russia have lost access to blocked resources.

      In the last week and a half, Russian users of foreign SIM cards have faced an unexpected problem. Roaming, which had long been a loophole for circumventing internet restrictions, has stopped serving this function. Now, access to resources blocked in Russia through foreign numbers is impossible. The essence is that even when using a foreign SIM card, internet traffic actually passes through the infrastructure of Russian telecom operators. This means that the same filtering rules apply to it as to the traffic of domestic subscribers. The Ministry of Digital Development officially confirmed: the general regime of restrictions established in the country applies to the roaming internet traffic of foreign subscribers.

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      An interesting detail: users note that access to services that have themselves restricted their operations in Russia, such as Netflix, remains. This is explained by the fact that such platforms block access at the account level or by IP addresses, but are not subjects of the national filtering system. Thus, if you have an active subscription to a foreign streaming service, you can still use it through a foreign SIM card. However, access to resources listed in the Russian registry of restrictions is now closed.

      How many foreign SIM cards do Russians have?

      According to estimates by the analytical agency Mobile Research Group, there are currently about 2 million foreign SIM cards among Russians. However, approximately 500 thousand of them are regularly used for constant internet access. It is these half a million users who felt the changes first.

      Problems began to be recorded about a week and a half ago — from the end of June to the beginning of July 2026. Many owners of foreign numbers began to notice that the usual ways to bypass restrictions stopped working. This affected both physical SIM cards purchased abroad and popular eSIM solutions.

      What does this mean for users?

      For those who are used to using foreign SIM cards as the main tool for accessing blocked resources, the changes have been a serious blow. Alternative methods — VPN services and proxies — remain available, but their stability and speed leave much to be desired.

      Experts believe that this is not a technical failure, but a deliberate change in traffic filtering policy. Russian telecom operators have aligned roaming internet to the same standards that apply to all subscribers in the country.

      The future of foreign SIM cards in Russia

      It is too early to talk about a complete ban or blocking of foreign SIM cards. However, the trend is clear: the rules of the game are changing, and those who relied on the "roaming loophole" can no longer count on this method. Owners of foreign numbers will likely have to look for other methods of accessing information or adapt to new realities.

      The Ministry of Digital Development has clearly stated its position: traffic filtering is a sovereign right of the state, and it applies to everyone without exception. Foreign subscribers temporarily in Russia are also subject to these rules.

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      More news about the event:

      Foreign SIM cards in Russia have stopped bypassing resource blocks.

      Roaming, which previously allowed bypassing national restrictions, no longer works. 08:46 13.07.2026 News of Zainsk - Zainsk

      Foreign SIM cards in Russia have stopped bypassing resource blocks.

      Roaming, which previously allowed bypassing national restrictions, no longer works. 08:26 13.07.2026 Zainsk-inform - Zainsk

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