Russia’s internet regulator Roskomnadzor issued 212 VPN blocking orders to Google between March and April 2025, yet only six apps have been removed from the Google Play Store so far. This brings the total number of unavailable VPN services in Russia’s Play Store to 53.
Russian investigative journalist Maria Kolomychenko first uncovered that Google had received at least 47 VPN removal orders starting on March 12, targeting top-rated VPN apps. Following this, GreatFire’s AppCensorship Project analyzed 399 VPN apps and found that Roskomnadzor had actually gone after 212 VPN-like tools.
The findings by GreatFire point to an escalation in the Kremlin’s offensive against VPNs. However, Google appears to have resisted most of these censorship demands—unlike Apple, which removed at least 60 VPN apps at Russia’s request in 2024.
214 removal requests targeting 212 VPNs
Roskomnadzor’s campaign against VPN apps isn’t new. GreatFire’s Campaign and Advocacy Director, Benjamin Ismail, emphasized: “The Russian government is waging an all-out war on VPNs and all other tools enabling Russian citizens to bypass censorship and surveillance.”
GreatFire documented a total of 214 takedown orders sent to Google between March 12 and April 1, 2025. Out of these, 212 targeted VPNs and related proxy tools.
Many of these demands were issued under a law passed in March 2024 that criminalizes spreading information on bypassing internet restrictions—although using a VPN remains legal in Russia.
As previously mentioned, Google has largely resisted these requests. GreatFire confirmed that just six VPNs named in the most recent orders are no longer available on the Russian Play Store, including the widely-used ExpressVPN.
In total, 53 VPN apps have been removed from Google Play in Russia. These include major names like NordVPN, CyberGhost, Private Internet Access (PIA), and Astrill VPN.
Still-accessible apps include Proton VPN, Mullvad, and Amnezia VPN, which remain downloadable via Russia’s Google Play Store at the time of writing.
Interestingly, researchers uncovered inconsistencies in Roskomnadzor’s takedown requests, which in some instances targeted VPN apps that had already been removed.
ExpressVPN, for example, appears to have been unavailable in Russia since sometime between March and September 2024.
Determining when an app was removed and why remains difficult. Avast VPN revealed in a blog post that it exited the Russian market due to the Ukraine conflict. Other developers may also have been pressured to pull out of the country’s app stores.
Still, Ismail argues that censorship is present in various forms.
He told TechRadar: “Self-censorship is still censorship: it’s just a more indirect, systemic form, rather than a formal takedown. And if, in the end, it was the developer’s sole decision to take down the app as part of a broader withdrawal from the Russian market, we regret such a choice.”
AppCensorship is now urging more independent oversight and transparency from tech platforms.
You can check the full list of unavailable VPNs on Google Play here. If you’re in Russia and struggling to download your desired VPN, we recommend changing your app store location or, on Android, finding alternative sideloading options.
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Disclaimer: This news report is based on publicly available information and research conducted by third-party organizations. The availability of VPN apps may change over time, and users are advised to verify app accessibility and legal guidelines within their region before attempting to download or use VPN services.
