Is Discord Banned in Russia? Yes, Since Oct 2024 (Why)

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Discord

Blocked on 8 October 2024 after Discord ignored an order to delete 947 items Russia called illegal. Roskomnadzor said the platform was used for terrorism, extremism and drug sales.

Status: Banned
Country: Russia
Category: Apps & Websites
Banned since: 2024-10-08
Last checked: 29/10/2026

Discord was built for gamers, but in Russia it became much more: a place for study groups, remote teams and, according to Russian military bloggers, even drone units at the front. That did not save it. On 8 October 2024, Roskomnadzor blocked the platform nationwide, and the block is still in force two years later.

Why Russia blocked Discord

Roskomnadzor said Discord broke Russian law by failing to stop its use “for terrorist and extremist purposes”, for recruiting people into such activity and for selling drugs. The block followed a clear build-up:

July 2023: a Moscow court fined Discord 6 million roubles for not removing content Russia called illegal.
From 20 September 2024: the regulator issued five rulings against the platform, and a court added a 3.5 million rouble fine.
1 October 2024: Roskomnadzor ordered Discord to delete 947 items.
8 October 2024: with the order ignored, access was cut.

Russian officials said Discord had refused to comply with local law or to talk to the regulator. Within days, Roskomnadzor added that it saw no grounds to lift the block.

Who the ban hit hardest

The decision drew rare criticism from inside Russia. State Duma deputy Vladislav Davankov said he would appeal to Roskomnadzor, and pro-war commentators warned that troops who used Discord to coordinate drone operations would lose a key tool, as Business Insider reported. Gamers, students and freelancers lost their servers overnight. Turkey blocked Discord on the same day, for its own reasons.

Does Discord work in Russia in 2026?

Not reliably. Users and VPN providers report that in 2026 the site and app often fail to load without a VPN, and that voice chat is the hardest feature to use. Russia has also tightened its filtering of VPN traffic, so tools that worked in 2024 may no longer connect.

A wider pattern

Discord was one of the first big Western chat apps Russia shut off, and others followed. Calls on Telegram were restricted in 2025 before Russia moved against Telegram itself in 2026, and the WhatsApp block of February 2026 removed the last major Meta app. Gaming has been a target elsewhere too, from India’s PUBG Mobile ban onward. Browse the rest of Russia’s blocked apps and websites.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Discord banned in Russia?

Yes. Roskomnadzor blocked Discord nationwide on 8 October 2024, saying the platform broke Russian law. The block has not been lifted, and in 2026 users report that Discord rarely loads without a VPN, with voice chat the hardest feature to use. Russia has not announced any plan to restore access.

Why did Russia ban Discord?

Roskomnadzor said Discord failed to stop its use for terrorist and extremist purposes, recruitment and drug sales. The platform ignored a 1 October 2024 order to delete 947 items Russia considered illegal, after earlier court fines of 6 million and 3.5 million roubles for not removing banned content.

When was Discord blocked in Russia?

Discord was blocked on 8 October 2024, the same day Turkey also blocked it. The Russian block came one week after Roskomnadzor ordered the platform to remove 947 pieces of content, and after five rulings against Discord issued from 20 September 2024 onward.

Did Russian soldiers use Discord?

Yes, according to Russian military bloggers and commentators. They said troops used Discord to coordinate drone operations in Ukraine and warned that the ban would hurt front-line units. State Duma deputy Vladislav Davankov also said he would appeal the decision to Roskomnadzor.

Will Discord be unblocked in Russia?

There is no sign of it. Days after the block, Roskomnadzor said it saw no grounds to lift it, and Russia has since blocked WhatsApp and restricted Telegram as it pushes users toward domestic services. Discord would likely need to meet Russia's content and data demands first.