LIBERUM VPN Blog
Guides for people who have moved abroad: how to get back into Russian banks, Gosuslugi, marketplaces and streaming services from anywhere in the world.
Russian bank website not opening because of certificates: what to do on a computer, a phone and abroad
According to the Association of Banks of Russia, every second bank has received customer complaints over revoked certificates. Why a Russian bank’s website won’t open in Chrome and Safari, how to get in with Yandex Browser or by installing the Russian Ministry of Digital Development’s NUC certificates, and what to do if you are abroad. With our check of October 26, 2026.
Roblox in Russia: why it stopped working and what changed in 2026
Roskomnadzor restricted Roblox on December 3, 2025, and on June 10, 2026 the Ministry of Digital Development announced that the restrictions had been lifted. A timeline with the official wording, what Roblox’s rules say about accounts, Robux and VPNs, and our check from October 12, 2026.
Telegram not working in Russia: what’s restricted and how to tell a block from an outage
Calls in Telegram have been limited since August 2025, and since February 10, 2026 Roskomnadzor has been restricting the whole messenger. A timeline based on official statements, our October 12, 2026 measurement, signs of a block, and what Telegram itself offers.
Viber not working in Russia: the block, your chats and your account
Roskomnadzor restricted access to Viber on December 13, 2024. The official grounds, what happens to your chats and account according to Viber’s own help center, the results of our October 12, 2026 check, and the options users still have.
FaceTime and Snapchat not working in Russia: what is blocked and since when
Roskomnadzor says it blocked Snapchat on October 10, 2025, but announced this only on December 4, the same day as the restrictions on FaceTime. What exactly stopped working, what Apple’s and Snap’s rules say, and how our October 12, 2026 check turned out.
LinkedIn not opening in Russia: why it was blocked and what to do
LinkedIn has been blocked in Russia since November 2016 for failing to comply with the personal data localization law. A timeline of the decisions, our October 12, 2026 measurement, what LinkedIn’s own rules say, and what the block means for job hunting.
Signal not working in Russia: the 2024 block and what we know now
Roskomnadzor restricted access to Signal on August 9, 2024. The regulator’s wording, what stopped working, what the messenger’s team said, and why in our October 12, 2026 measurement the website opened while the app’s server mostly did not.
Sovcombank and Pochta Bank from abroad: which website won’t open and where to log in now
Since May 1, 2026, Pochta Bank has been part of VTB, and Sovcombank’s home page doesn’t respond to every foreign network. What our October 12 measurements showed, the banks’ rules, where to get the apps, and how a Russian address may help.
GIBDD website from abroad: why gibdd.rf won’t open and where to check traffic fines now
Since the evening of October 9, gibdd.rf hasn’t worked for our server abroad, and a data center in Germany couldn’t connect to it. What our October 12 measurements showed, which official services replace the State Traffic Inspectorate website, and what a Russian address gives you.
Slack and Miro in Russia: Miro blocks Russian IPs from October 15, how to save your boards and data
Since October 15, 2026, Miro has refused connections from Russian and Belarusian IP addresses, free plan included: on October 20, miro.com showed a “This request has been blocked” page in every one of our checks from Russia. Slack cut off accounts linked to Russia back in 2022–2024. What is known about the block, what to do with your boards and work data, and what Miro’s terms say about logging in through a VPN.
Why X (Twitter) won’t open in Russia and what you can do about it
X, formerly Twitter, has been unavailable in Russia since March 2022. On what grounds Roskomnadzor restricted access, how x.com loaded in our October 10, 2026 check, what the platform’s own rules say about VPNs, and what you can try.
WhatsApp not working in Russia: what was restricted and when
WhatsApp calls have been restricted since August 2025, and in February 2026 the Kremlin confirmed the messenger was blocked. A timeline with the official wording, the results of our October 10, 2026 check, and options worth trying.
S7 Airlines website won’t open: a bot check, not a country block
Instead of ticket search, the S7 Airlines website may show a check for automated requests, both abroad and in Russia: in our October 10, 2026 measurements, the response depended on how the request was made, not on the country. Where else to buy an S7 ticket and how to pay for it.
Raiffeisenbank from abroad: why the website may not open and what to do
On October 10, Raiffeisenbank’s home page opened for probes in Germany, the Netherlands, Georgia and Kazakhstan, but failed to load on certain networks. What the bank says about customers abroad and VPNs, where to download its app, and how a Russian IP address can help.
The FSSP website won’t open from abroad: how to check debts and travel bans
From abroad, the Russian bailiffs’ website shows “You have exceeded the limit on the number of connections to the site.” Our October 10 measurements, official ways to check debts, what is known about travel bans, and whether a Russian IP helps.
Rosreestr from abroad: the website won’t open — how to get an EGRN extract
On October 10, Rosreestr’s website and personal account did not answer a single probe from Germany, the Netherlands, Georgia and Kazakhstan, yet opened from Russia. Where to get an EGRN property extract if you live abroad, and what a Russian IP showed.
CDEK from abroad: the website won’t open or hangs on a check — what to do
A browser-check page instead of the CDEK website? On October 10, 2026, both Russian and foreign probes got it. Why that happens, how to track a parcel through the app and the bot, and what a Russian IP can and can’t do.
ChatGPT and Gemini not working in Russia: why, and what you can do
ChatGPT shows “Unable to load site” and Gemini is unavailable? We explain why OpenAI and Google don’t serve Russia, whether you can use ChatGPT without risking your account, what our October 10, 2026 test showed, and how phone numbers and payment work.
Figma and Notion not working in Russia: what is restricted and what to do
Notion left Russia because of US sanctions, while Figma does not sell paid plans to new customers there and sometimes fails to open. What the official rules restrict, what our October 10, 2026 access test showed, and how to keep your work files.
Discord not working in Russia: when and why it was blocked
Discord has not worked in Russia since October 8, 2024. What Roskomnadzor said, what results our check on October 10, 2026 gave, and what you can try.
Instagram not opening in Russia: the 2022 block and where things stand now
Instagram has not opened in Russia since March 14, 2022. Why it was restricted, why Meta’s activities are banned in Russia as extremist, what is known for 2026, and what our check showed.
Alfa-Bank from abroad: why the website won’t open and what to do
Abroad, Alfa-Bank’s website runs into a certificate from Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, not a country block: on October 10, the site served the same certificate in Russia, Germany and Georgia. What the bank advises, where to get the app, and what a Russian IP gives you.
Ozon Bank from abroad: the app is gone from Google Play. What now?
Since August 12, 2026, the Ozon Bank app has not been on Google Play. What the bank advises, how to log in to your account through a browser, and what our checks of the website from Russia, Germany and Georgia showed.
Rutube abroad: what works and which videos are unavailable
Rutube opens from abroad, but some live channels and films are blocked: the player says, in Russian, “Video unavailable by decision of the rights holder, or you have a VPN turned on.” What our October 10 check showed and what you can try.
Ivi and Wink abroad: why they don’t work and what you can try
From Germany, Ivi sends you to its international version, ivi.tv, while Wink says it “doesn’t work in your country or with a VPN turned on.” We look at the territories in their user agreements, the April VPN restrictions and our October 10 check.
mos.ru from abroad: what opens and what doesn’t
In our checks, the mos.ru home page opened from several countries, but the MES school diary did not respond from abroad. Here is what we checked and what Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development advises.
T-Bank abroad: the website, the app and what to do
The T-Bank website abroad does not pass the certificate check of Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, and in July 2026 the app did not let customers in. What tbank-online.com is, which browser to log in with, what is known about error 419 and where to download the app.
Russian Post asks you to turn off a VPN you aren’t using: what to do
From abroad, Russian Post shows “Please make sure your VPN is turned off.” Here’s what we saw on October 3 and 4, 2026, what Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development advises, and how to write to support.
Yandex Plus abroad: subscription payment and access to services
Yandex’s help page says the subscription is charged to a card every month, but it says nothing about the user’s country. Here’s what we checked for Yandex Plus, what it says about cards, and where we have no data.
Avito from abroad: why it won’t open and what to check
According to kod.ru, Avito won’t open from a foreign home IP without a VPN. Our checks on October 3–4, 2026 returned codes 200, 429 and 439, and here’s what to check.
VTB from abroad: certificate error on the site and VTB Online login
The VTB website and VTB Online login show a warning about a certificate from Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development when opened from abroad. Here is what our test shows and what we did not check.
Aeroflot not opening abroad: what the website shows
When opened from abroad, the Aeroflot website returns a check page with code 503. Here is what the page says, what our test of eight probes showed, and what we don’t know.
Megamarket not opening from abroad: what to do
Megamarket from abroad shows an “Oops…” page or an automated-request check. Here is what the page says, what our test showed, and where to write.
GIS ZhKH from abroad: what doesn’t open and why
In our checks, GIS ZhKH, the state housing and utilities portal, does not respond from abroad: the connection is not established, while the page opens from Russia. Here is what is known and what we don’t know.
RZD website not working abroad? How to buy Russian train tickets
rzd.ru and ticket.rzd.ru often simply don’t respond from abroad. We break down the three causes (a foreign IP address, the certificate from Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development and payment), share our measurements from nine countries, and list the official ways to buy Russian Railways tickets from abroad.
“Your connection is not private” on Sberbank, VTB, Alfa-Bank and Russian Railways sites: what to do
Sberbank, VTB, Alfa-Bank or Russian Railways won’t open and the browser says “Your connection is not private”? Why it happens, when Yandex Browser is enough, and when you also need a Russian IP abroad, with our own measurements.
A Russian site says “turn off VPN,” but it’s off: what to do abroad
Abroad, Gosuslugi, Ozon, your bank or Russian Post won’t let you in and asks you to turn off a VPN you don’t have? How services decide you’re on a VPN, why they get it wrong, and what to do step by step — with our own test from five countries and Russia.
What makes a free VPN risky: what the research says
A free app still gets paid by someone — the only question is with what. Here is what peer-reviewed research and documented cases say these services actually collect, and why this is not paranoia.
Why VPNs stop working: how the restrictions are built
Yesterday everything opened, today the connection hangs. Here is how traffic is recognized by the shape of its packets, why addresses rather than protocols get blocked, and when the VPN is not the problem at all.
The YouTube slowdown in Russia: why it happens
Video will not load while email and maps work fine. Here is what happened to YouTube in Russia: the official explanation about Google’s servers, what independent measurements showed, and what changed by 2026.
Is using a VPN legal in Russia? What the law actually says
Russian law has no ban on using a VPN, but several rules have grown up around it: duties for services, fines for advertising circumvention tools, liability for searching for extremist material.
What VLESS and Reality are, in plain English
Why some connection methods stop working first while others last longer. A plain-language look at what VLESS, Reality and Vision are — and an honest account of what they can’t do.
Russian utility bills, traffic fines and your car: how to pay from abroad and avoid debt
Meter readings, utility bills, traffic fines and your OSAGO car insurance don’t go on hold because you’ve moved abroad. Here’s what losing access to your online accounts can cost and how to get it back.
Doctor appointments and school diaries in Russia from abroad: how to regain access
Booking your parents a doctor’s appointment, checking your child’s grades, renewing a prescription — all of it happens on portals that won’t open from a foreign IP address. Here’s what stops working and how to fix it.
Yandex services not working abroad? What works, what doesn’t, and why
Yandex Music loses tracks, Disk won’t let you in, Taxi never comes, and Plus keeps charging you. Here’s why each service fails for its own reason and which problems a Russian IP address can fix.
Working with Russian companies from abroad: documents, e-signatures and access
Your document exchange system won’t open, the client portal won’t let you in, and cloud 1C is out of reach. Here’s exactly what’s blocked for foreign IP addresses, how to fix it and what to do about your e-signature.
How to keep your Russian phone number abroad without losing access to services
Your Russian phone number is the key to banks, Gosuslugi and the tax service, not just a way to make calls. Here’s how to keep it from abroad, why your carrier’s account won’t open and what to do if it’s already gone.
Reverse VPN with a Russian IP: what it is and why you need it abroad
Left Russia, and now Sberbank, Gosuslugi and Wildberries won’t open? We explain what a “reverse VPN” is, when it gets you back into Russian services and why, since 2026, it doesn’t work everywhere.
How to log in to SberBank Online and T-Bank (Tinkoff) from abroad in 2026
Your banking app says “no connection” and the website says “connection not secure”? What changed in 2026 and how to log in to SberBank Online and T-Bank (Tinkoff) from abroad.
Gosuslugi not working abroad? How to get back in
Getting a blank screen, an error or a “turn off VPN” prompt on Gosuslugi, Russia’s government services portal, while you’re abroad? Here’s why, and what to try in order: another network, portal support, login without SMS and, if nothing else works, a Russian IP address.
Wildberries and Ozon not working abroad? How to order from Russian marketplaces
Wildberries or Ozon not opening abroad or asking you to turn off your VPN? Here’s what changed in April 2026, how to order for family in Russia and how to pay.
How to watch Kinopoisk, Okko and VK Video from abroad
Kinopoisk says “not available in your region” or asks you to turn off your VPN, and Okko won’t play abroad? Here’s where Russian streaming services officially work, what changed in April 2026 and what to expect from a Russian IP address.
Russian taxes from abroad: how to use the FNS taxpayer account and Gosklyuch
Your tax return deadline is coming up, but the taxpayer account won’t open abroad? Here’s how to pay Russian taxes, handle self-employment and sign documents from any country.