Russian authorities are discussing a possible ban on registering electronic SIM cards from abroad. According to sources cited by Kommersant, the measure is being considered as part of a third package of anti-fraud initiatives. Two of the newspaper’s three sources said, however, that no final decision has yet been made on whether to include the ban in the document.
The Ministry of Digital Development confirmed that the third package is still under discussion and said it was too early to speak about its specific provisions.
The debate follows reports that after tighter internet restrictions in 2026, Russians increasingly began buying eSIMs linked to operators in the European Union as well as in Kazakhstan, Armenia, Serbia, and Uzbekistan. According to coverage by Bumaga, such cards have in some cases allowed users to access YouTube, Telegram, and other services without a VPN.
These eSIMs can be purchased through specialized travel services, but this method of bypassing restrictions is costly, at around 2,000 to 3,000 rubles per month. In addition, SecurityLab experts noted that such solutions work differently from one another and their operating conditions can change quickly, meaning they do not help in every case.
At the same time, the government is also discussing further restrictions on M2M SIM cards (Machine-to-Machine), which are used to transfer data between devices, for example in ATMs. Kommersant’s sources said they could be placed in a separate category, subjected to additional user identification requirements, and barred from transmitting voice traffic and SMS messages.
M2M SIM cards exist in a legal gray area, which is why fraudsters often use them for spam calling, said Anastasia Bidzhelova, director for the development and operation of communications services at Telekom Birzha.
Yaroslav Dubovikov, executive director of the Association of Communications Companies, added that such SIM cards are often resold to private individuals, allowing users to avoid mandatory registration with passport details.