Russia spent 2. 27B to integrate AI into its national web filtering system
It flags VPN connections by analyzing packet timing and server patterns
Experts warn the rollout could impact all VPN protocols
Russia’s communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has reportedly officially deployed machine learning filters to choke virtual private networks across the country. The state censor poured 2. 27 billion rubles into the project, according to government digital transformation documents reviewed by Forbes Russia and reported by The Moscow Times . The move marks a sharp escalation in the Kremlin’s digital barrier. For millions of citizens relying on the best VPN software to reach independent news and blocked foreign websites, bypassing censorship is about to become far more difficult. Previous leaks suggested Russia’s next tool to fight VPNs appears to be AI , and these newly revealed procurement records confirm the system is now active. The software integrates directly into ASBI, the centralized architecture used to control the deep packet inspection hardware installed on domestic internet providers. Hunting metadata instead of cracking code

(Image credit: Shutterstock) The AI tool deployed on the agency’s internal infrastructure is a predictive model, not a generative chatbot. Instead of attempting to decrypt user content, it searches for behavioral fingerprints in connection metadata : packet sizes, transmission intervals, session lengths, and hosting server patterns. As Dmitry Kuteynikov, an expert at digital rights organization RKS Global and specialist in AI regulation, explained to TechRadar, the tool is classified as ‘intelligent decision support’ and counts 101 users. "Our reading is that, at this stage, it helps Roskomnadzor staff decide what to block," he added. Kuteynikov warned that, as the model comes into use, blocks are likely to come faster. This means users should expect VPNs to work less reliably, with connections dropping without warning
Even advanced stealth protocols will struggle to fly under the radar. "Every protocol would become harder to use," Kuteynikov said, explaining that while o bfuscation hides a protocol’s signature, "the traffic pattern of a tunnel stays visible, and that pattern is exactly what a behavioral model looks for." A developer working for Russian provider Amnezia VPN also confirmed this…