Russia is preparing a system of mandatory registration for mobile devices by their unique IMEI identifiers. The authorities say the measure should help fight phone fraud, illegal electronics imports and risks linked to the use of drones. At the same time, market participants warn about possible technical failures and expanded user identification tools.
IMEI is a 15-digit identifier assigned to a phone, tablet or modem that allows an operator to determine exactly which device has connected to the network. The Russian Digital Development Ministry plans to create a unified database of these numbers in 2026. Deputy minister Dmitry Ugnivenko said the database should help the state distinguish an “ordinary person’s phone” from a device used in a drone, so that mobile internet is not shut down for everyone but only restricted where there is a real risk.
At present, when mobile internet is temporarily disabled because of what the authorities describe as the threat of UAV use, officials rely on so-called “white lists” of websites that remain accessible. A “cooling-off regime” is also in effect for foreign SIM cards and for SIM cards of Russian operators brought into the country from abroad.
According to Kommersant, the draft law under discussion could take effect on March 1, 2026, although the office of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko said the bill is still being developed. The newspaper’s sources say that in 2027 Russians may be required to link IMEI numbers to subscriber numbers, and from 2028 only phones whose IMEI is entered into the database would be allowed to operate on Russian networks.
“If such a restriction is really introduced for Russian citizens, you will not be able to take your SIM card out of one phone and put it into another. This is a serious restriction,” leading Mobile Research Group analyst Eldar Murtazin told the outlet Abzats.
M.Video told reporters that IMEI data are currently used only for customs declaration and customs control. The ministry is also discussing a registration fee for devices: a small fixed amount for officially imported phones and a percentage of the value for devices brought in through “grey” channels. Kommersant reported that the money could be directed either to the federal budget or to the universal service reserve fund.
Separate restrictions already apply to foreign citizens. Since November 1, 2025, Russians have been allowed to hold no more than 20 SIM cards, while foreigners may have no more than ten. After the 2024 terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, sales rules for SIM cards to foreign nationals were tightened: they must undergo biometric registration, obtain a SNILS number, confirm a Gosuslugi account and provide their phone’s IMEI. In 2025, Russian operators blocked 14 million numbers.