Phone being checked

Draft. Compiled from human rights groups' guides but not yet reviewed by a lawyer. This is not legal advice — check the linked sources and consult a lawyer.

• With grounds, officers may search you (art. 27.7 CAO), but may seize a phone only with a written record. The law does not expressly require you to unlock it or give a passcode (pending legal review).
• Since 2025 border guards have been allowed to 'inspect' devices; the FSB says refusal can mean a fine or up to 15 days' detention, though practice is still unclear.
• There have been cases over phone contents: 'searching for extremist materials' (art. 13.53 CAO), Telegram 'stars' sent to channels designated as terrorist, donations to Ukrainian medics.
• Human rights groups usually suggest a separate 'clean' phone for travel, biometrics off, disappearing messages, and deleting subscriptions and donation screenshots. Bank and cloud records remain.

current as of September 25. More: Meduza: how to prepare your phone for the Russian border (undesirable)

Draft. Compiled from human rights groups' guides but not yet reviewed by a lawyer. This is not legal advice — check the linked sources and consult a lawyer.

• WhatsApp, Signal and Viber are blocked in Russia, Telegram works intermittently and mobile internet gets shut down. Save your lawyer's and rights groups' contacts outside Telegram in advance: email, Delta Chat, phone.
• Using a VPN is not banned by law. Since 1 September 2025, art. 13.53 CAO fines people for deliberately searching for material on the extremist list, including through a VPN.
• Blocking comes in waves, so specialists advise keeping two or three VPNs of different types and updating them in advance, not when the shutdown hits.
• The state messenger MAX has no end-to-end encryption, so don't discuss anything sensitive on it. A school cannot make you install MAX.
• Detailed guides: First Line (digital security section) and EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense in Russian.

current as of September 25. More: Mediazona: Russia's internet censorship in 2026 (foreign agent); Forbes: law on fines for searching for extremist material; OVD-Info: MAX at school (extremist); EFF: Surveillance Self-Defense

Draft. Compiled from human rights groups' guides but not yet reviewed by a lawyer. This is not legal advice — check the linked sources and consult a lawyer.

• Check yourself: a criminal-record certificate via Gosuslugi, the police wanted list, the bailiffs' database, the Rosfinmonitoring list, the draft register, court websites — see 'Check yourself'.
• Think about what could be used against you: donations to 'undesirable' or 'extremist' organisations or the Ukrainian army, posts with banned symbols, subscriptions to banned channels.
• You can be named a suspect at any moment, including at the border. Human rights groups advise travelling with a separate phone without personal data and arranging contact with a lawyer in advance.
• At the border you'll be asked about your trip, job, relatives in Ukraine and view of the war, and devices may be inspected. If detained, ask your status, demand a lawyer, invoke art. 51 of the Constitution.
• Men of draft age: if there's a summons in the register you won't be allowed to leave again. Get advice before the trip: First Department, OVD-Info (bot), Network Freedoms.

current as of September 25. More: First Department: assessing the risks of a trip to Russia (foreign agent); OVD-Info: questions asked at the border (extremist)