Russian e-commerce platforms took a significant hit in April after complying with government orders to block VPN users, with some marketplaces losing up to 10% of their user base. The restrictions, imposed by Russia’s Ministry of Digital Development, resulted in measurable revenue losses across the country’s major online shopping platforms.
The move highlights Russia’s ongoing efforts to control internet access and monitor digital activity within its borders. The restrictions affect not only domestic users who rely on VPNs for privacy but also international customers, potentially isolating Russian e-commerce platforms from global markets at a time when digital trade has become increasingly important.
Wildberries, Russia’s largest online marketplace, saw mobile traffic drop 10% in April compared to March. Other major platforms also recorded declines: Ozon and Yandex Market each fell 3%, while classified ads platform Avito dropped 1.5%. These numbers stand in stark contrast to March performance, when all four platforms had posted mobile traffic growth, with Ozon leading at 10% month-over-month increase.
The financial impact extended beyond traffic numbers. Sellers operating on these platforms reported April revenue declines ranging from 3% to 30% compared to March, directly attributing the losses to VPN restrictions. Industry experts estimate the traffic limitations cost the platforms roughly 1% of total revenue in April alone.
With Russian marketplace sales totaling 8.59 trillion rubles based on 2025 figures, that 1% revenue hit translates to approximately 7 billion rubles in losses. This represents a substantial economic cost for what the government frames as a security measure.
The restrictions stem from a late March meeting between the Ministry of Digital Development and heads of major Russian companies. Minister Maksut Shadayev announced that by April 15, companies would be required to block platform access for VPN users. The government backed up this requirement with threats to remove non-compliant companies from “white lists” and strip them of their Ministry of Digital Development IT accreditation.
After many Russian companies implemented VPN restrictions in late April, the Digital Development Ministry justified the policy by stating companies were acting “for the security of user data.” However, the Association of Internet Trade Companies pushed back, stating that blocking VPN traffic “unambiguously makes it harder” for Russian services to serve customers both domestically and internationally.
The policy creates a challenging situation for Russian e-commerce companies caught between government mandates and business interests. VPN usage in Russia has grown significantly as users seek to access blocked international services and maintain privacy online. By forcing platforms to block these users, the government may be pushing Russian digital commerce further into isolation from global markets.