Two more messaging apps become inaccessible in Russia without VPN

South Korean messaging app KakaoTalk and Turkish platform BiP have become inaccessible to users in parts of Russia without a VPN, with outages reported for a third consecutive day.

Users said both services continue to function normally only when accessed through a VPN, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

KakaoTalk users said the disruptions began on July 27.

Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor, has not announced any official restrictions on either platform.

According to Downdetector, more than 150 complaints about BiP were submitted over the past 24 hours, with users reporting an inability to send messages, slow media uploads, missing incoming messages, and other issues.

The service has not recorded a significant increase in complaints regarding KakaoTalk.

The disruptions come as both messaging apps have gained popularity in Russia following restrictions affecting Telegram and WhatsApp.

Research by MTS AdTech found that the combined audience of foreign messaging platforms still available in Russia grew 26% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the previous quarter.

BiP recorded the strongest growth, with its user base surging 120% to 4.3 million between April and June, while KakaoTalk's audience increased 80% to 1.26 million.

According to Speakatel pre-sales engineer Denis Ushakov, the future growth of alternative messaging platforms in Russia will depend on their willingness to comply with the country's legal requirements.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov