VPN App Downloads Surge 14-Fold in Russia

08:52; 28 April 2026 year

### Russian VPN App Downloads Surge 14-Fold in March Amid Censorship Concerns In March 2026, the number of VPN app downloads in Russia increased 14 times compared to the same period last year, reaching 9.2 million downloads, according to Similarweb data reported by Russian business daily *Kommersant*. Overall, during the first quarter of 2026, VPN app downloads totaled 21.27 million. According to Sensor Tower, a platform analyzing mobile app popularity, by the end of 2025, the active user base of popular VPN services in Russia had grown to 7.3 million users. Meanwhile, Apple Censorship, a group that tracks app removals from the App Store, noted that by the end of April, 116 VPN services were no longer available in the Russian App Store.

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