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Kaspersky VPN works in Russia, but it isn't designed to open blocked websites. In its official FAQ, Kaspersky Lab states that the Russian version of Kaspersky Secure Connection encrypts traffic. Through it you can open websites that are accessible in Russia and services that have themselves closed off to Russian users. Resources restricted by law don't open through it. Since March 2026, the service in Russia has been running on new infrastructure: it has 8 locations and one protocol, WireGuard.
The company positions the product as protection on public Wi-Fi networks and as a way to use Russian websites from abroad. If you need a VPN that disguises traffic as an ordinary HTTPS connection and doesn't require registration, we recommend BessyConnect. Details and a comparison below.
It works, but only as a traffic encryption service. It doesn't give access to resources restricted by law in Russia. In September 2026, the company replied to a user on RuStore that it can't guarantee access to resources blocked in Russia and that the functions of its solutions "fully comply" with Russian regulations.
How it came to this:
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| March 2019 | Roskomnadzor demanded that 10 VPN services connect to the FGIS, the registry of banned resources. Only Kaspersky Secure Connection agreed | Habr, July 2, 2019, citing RosKomSvoboda |
| July 2019 | Users noticed that the service doesn't open websites from Roskomnadzor's registry | same |
| November 8, 2022 | The company announced it was leaving the Russian market: the free version works until November 15, and the subscription is sold until the end of December 2022 | Interfax, citing the press office |
| August 27, 2024 | Kaspersky blog (updated post): the free version in Russia has been suspended since November 15, 2022; the subscription can still be bought | kaspersky.ru |
| December 2, 2025 | The press office confirmed connection failures and asked users in Russia to check that their license was issued for the Russian region | Habr, Anti-Malware.ru |
| March 3, 2026 | After accepting a new agreement, users reported that the VPN stopped opening websites. The company attributed this to the move to new infrastructure | Kaspersky forum and help center |
These restrictions are based on the law. Article 15.8 of the law "On Information" prohibits VPN owners from providing access in Russia to resources that are restricted. It also obliges them to connect to the FGIS at Roskomnadzor's request. We wrote more about the rules in the article is a VPN legal in Russia.
Hence the main question in Yandex suggestions: «касперский впн работает ли ютуб» (does kaspersky vpn work with youtube). On the official forum, since November 2025 and after March 3, 2026, users write that YouTube doesn't load through the app. Moderators reply with a quote from the official FAQ, which says that under Russian law the solution isn't intended for accessing restricted resources.
It is a VPN app from Kaspersky Lab. In Russia it is called Kaspersky Secure Connection; in other countries, Kaspersky VPN. In the App Store and RuStore descriptions, the company warns: "The name and functions differ." It is sold separately or as part of a Kaspersky Premium subscription.
| Parameter | Data as of October 26, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | in the App Store — Kaspersky Lab Switzerland GmbH; on RuStore — AO "Laboratoriya Kasperskogo" (АО «Лаборатория Касперского») |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Android, iPhone and iPad |
| Protocol in Russia | WireGuard only |
| Locations in Russia | 8: Australia, the UK, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, the US |
| Temporarily unavailable in Russia | router installation, double connection, custom DNS server |
| Still available | split tunneling and Kill Switch |
| App Store (Russia) | version 2.111.0 of October 8, 2026, rating 4.3 (about 19.6 thousand ratings) |
| RuStore | version 11.134.4.16207 of September 21, 2026, rating 2.1 (811 ratings), 200K+ downloads |
| Google Play | no: according to the company's help center, Kaspersky apps aren't available there |
Note the discrepancy. The product page on kaspersky.ru promises "more than 6,000 servers in more than 120 locations" and access to Netflix and Disney+. But the help article for Russia about the move to new infrastructure lists eight locations. The company writes that it is working on expanding them.
The difference in ratings is telling too. In the Russian App Store the average score is 4.3; on RuStore, 2.1. In recent RuStore reviews from September and October 2026, users complain that "youtube, tik tok" don't work through the app. One user writes that there aren't enough servers for them and that the connection is slow to establish.
On kaspersky.ru on October 26, 2026, Kaspersky VPN for 5 devices costs 1,890 rubles for the first year, after which the subscription renews at 1,987 rubles a year. Kaspersky Premium, which also includes the VPN, costs 2,719 rubles for the first year and 3,399 rubles on renewal. There is a 7-day trial period and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
In the Russian App Store, the app has 10 "Unlimited traffic" in-app purchase options: from 349 to 2,490 rubles. Annual subscriptions cost 2,290 and 2,490 rubles.
The free mode is more complicated:
People often search for «код активации касперский впн бесплатно» (kaspersky vpn activation code free) and «на 365 дней» (for 365 days). Such codes from third-party sources have a specific problem. According to the company's help center, a license bought for a region other than Russia stopped working in Russia after the move to new infrastructure. We wrote about the risks of "free keys" and cracked builds in the article on fake VPN apps.
The official sources for Russia are listed in the help article "Changes to how Kaspersky Secure Connection works in Russia":
If you have Kaspersky Standard, Plus or Premium and a separate VPN subscription on the same device, you need to update the main app, not the VPN.
How to turn on Kaspersky VPN on Windows, according to the company's help center: open the app's main window and turn on the toggle. The second way: open the context menu of the app icon in the notification area and select "Establish secure VPN connection".
Most often, the cause is one of three. The website is restricted in Russia, and the app won't open it by the design of the service. Your license isn't for the Russian region. Or you have an outdated version after the move to new infrastructure. The first can't be fixed through settings; the rest can.
The order of checks from Kaspersky's help center:
There is also a technical requirement. The system requirements on kaspersky.ru say that a stable connection requires the internet provider to support the WireGuard protocol. If the carrier restricts such traffic, the connection will be unstable. We covered general causes of VPN failures in the article why a VPN isn't working. And if Kaspersky's antivirus interferes with another VPN, the guide antivirus is blocking the VPN will help.
In terms of authenticity, it is an official product from a large company, available in the App Store, Mac App Store and RuStore. How much data it collects is stated by the developer itself in the App Store listing. The service complies with Russian VPN requirements, and you should keep that in mind when deciding what exactly it protects you from.
What the developer has stated in the "App Privacy" section of the Russian App Store:
These are the developer's statements; Apple doesn't verify them. The app does provide encryption on public Wi-Fi: the company cites 256-bit encryption and WireGuard. But by law it can't open resources restricted in Russia, and the company doesn't hide this.
If you need encryption in a café or an airport and access to Russian websites from abroad, Kaspersky does its job. It works legally in Russia, is paid for in rubles and is available in Russian stores. People look for a replacement when they need a VPN with traffic camouflage and a wide choice of locations.
| BessyConnect | Kaspersky Secure Connection (Russia) | AmneziaVPN | Proton VPN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protocol | VLESS with Reality camouflage | WireGuard only | AmneziaWG, plus VLESS Reality in Premium | has the Stealth protocol |
| Locations | more than 100 servers | 8 locations | Premium: 20 countries | 20,000+ servers in 140+ countries (paid) |
| Free | trial period | free version suspended in Russia since 2022, 7-day trial | Amnezia Free up to 8 Mbps, no YouTube | free plan for 1 device |
| Windows | no | yes | yes | yes |
| In the Russian App Store | no | yes | AmneziaVPN no, AmneziaWG yes | no |
| Logs | not kept | not checked | not checked | independent audit claimed |
Data from websites and app listings as of October 26, 2026. Amnezia Premium is paid in rubles, from 290 rubles a month. More in our review of Amnezia VPN. If you need the simple one-button apps that people use in Russia, see our roundup of popular VPNs in Russia.
We recommend BessyConnect to those for whom Kaspersky VPN doesn't fit because of the small choice of locations or the single protocol. BessyConnect runs on VLESS with Reality camouflage: to the carrier, the traffic looks like an ordinary HTTPS connection. There are more than a hundred servers, no logs are kept, registration is optional, and there is a trial period.
Where Kaspersky is stronger, to put it plainly. It has a Windows app, it is available in the Russian App Store and on RuStore, the subscription can be paid in rubles and refunded within 30 days. Its locations include Russia. BessyConnect has no Windows app, and it isn't in the Russian App Store: on an iPhone you need an Apple ID from another country.
BessyConnect apps:
What neither BessyConnect, nor Kaspersky, nor any other VPN solves. If mobile internet has been restricted to whitelists, a VPN as a rule won't help. If a website itself blocks connections via VPN, you will have to access it without one. And BessyConnect can't be installed on a Windows computer yet.
If you have a paid Kaspersky VPN subscription and eight locations are enough for you, you can keep using it without worry. If you need a VPN with traffic camouflage and a wide choice of servers, try BessyConnect: all versions are on the download page.
Does Kaspersky VPN work in Russia in 2026? It works as a traffic encryption service: since March 2026, 8 locations and the WireGuard protocol have been available in Russia. According to the company's official FAQ, resources restricted under Russian law don't open through it.
Why doesn't YouTube work through Kaspersky VPN? Users on the official forum have been complaining about this since November 2025, and especially after March 3, 2026. Moderators reply with a quote from the official FAQ: the solution complies with Russian law on restricting access to resources.
Is there a free Kaspersky VPN? In Russia, the free version has been suspended since November 15, 2022. There is a 7-day trial on kaspersky.ru, and an annual subscription for 5 devices costs 1,890 rubles for the first year.
Can I download Kaspersky VPN on a PC? Yes, for Windows the installer is on kaspersky.ru, and for Mac it is in the Mac App Store. On Android, the app isn't on Google Play; it is installed from RuStore and other stores or via the official APK.
What can I replace Kaspersky VPN with? We recommend BessyConnect: VLESS with Reality camouflage, more than 100 servers, no logs and no mandatory registration, with a trial period. There are apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Android and Android TV; none for Windows yet.
An honest BessyConnect review: a VLESS+Reality VPN with 100+ servers in 15 countries, apps for iOS, Android and Android TV, and no browsing logs kept. More
Amnezia VPN is a free open-source client: how to download it for PC, Android and iPhone, how self-hosted, Premium and Free differ, and where to get a key. More
Happ VPN is a client app with no servers of its own. Where Happ keys and subscriptions come from, how to set it up on phone and PC, and why it won't connect. More
