Does ExpressVPN work in Russia?

As of Jul 22, 2026, ExpressVPN is blocked in Russia.

Status: blocked
Confidence: medium
Last verified: Jul 22, 2026
Method: All four protocols (Lightway, OpenVPN UDP/TCP, IKEv2) carry known DPI signatures blocked at TSPU level; protocol cycling does not help; Russian sources describe a server lottery where an individual server occasionally connects briefly before reblocking; app login reported to fail from inside Russia

Working alternatives in Russia

No VPN is currently verified as working in Russia. We would rather say that than guess. Check back after the next weekly verification pass.

What we're seeing

OONI counted 654 confirmed blocks of expressvpn.com between May 1 and July 21, 2026, rising sharply in July. 2026 press coverage calls ExpressVPN effectively non-functional in Russia, and ntc.party threads describe TSPU mass-blocking all four of its protocols (Lightway, OpenVPN UDP/TCP, IKEv2) plus login failures from inside the country. Russian sources describe a server lottery where an individual server occasionally connects briefly before being reblocked. Only an affiliate page with one anecdote claims otherwise.

Sources for the above:

user_report (Jul 22, 2026): OONI May 1 to Jul 21 2026: 654 confirmed blocks, 3,483 anomalies, 169 failures vs 1,420 ok of 5,726 measurements; confirmed blocks rising sharply in July; website not tunnel
news (Jul 22, 2026): TechRadar 2026 (snippet-observed): NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN effectively non-functional in Russia; only traffic-disguising protocols still work
forum (Jul 22, 2026): ntc.party threads on ExpressVPN blocking and login failures from Russia (snippet-observed; forum DNS-unreachable and itself RKN-blocked); TSPU mass-blocks Lightway/OpenVPN/IKEv2, surviving servers a week-to-week lottery
forum (Jul 22, 2026): Russian-language 2026 writeup (snippet-observed): all four protocols have known DPI signatures, cycling blocked by TSPU; competitor-biased, corroboration only
news (Jul 22, 2026): Conflicting claim, weighted low: affiliate page (updated Jan 2026) says ExpressVPN works in Russia based on one anecdote with no testing detail

Latest reports for ExpressVPN here:

Not working · 47d ago

Common questions

Is using a VPN legal in Russia?

Personal use is not banned, but a law passed in July 2025 fines advertising VPNs up to 500,000 rubles and treats VPN use as an aggravating factor in other offenses. The state also blocks VPN services that refuse to censor.

Which VPNs still work in Russia?

As of July 2026, none is verified fully working. Mullvad documents a partial path with QUIC or Shadowsocks, and Proton says Stealth connects for many, though forum reports say it is targeted. Seven of the ten we track are blocked.

Can I pay for a VPN from Russia?

It is hard. Visa and Mastercard stopped working for foreign payments in 2022, and several providers limit Russian accounts. Where a provider accepts them, vouchers or cryptocurrency are the practical routes.