Russia's internet regulator, **Roskomnadzor**, has reportedly blocked access to the social media platform **Bluesky**, marking the latest step in an ongoing crackdown on foreign online services. According to the Russian digital rights organization **RKS Global**, **Bluesky** has been added to the registry of banned websites maintained by **Roskomnadzor**. As of now, the agency has not provided a public explanation for the ban. ### Escalating Internet Censorship **Roskomnadzor** oversees internet censorship and content regulation in Russia, and it has significantly tightened its control over online platforms since the start of the war in Ukraine. Russian authorities have been increasingly restricting access to foreign social media and messaging services, often citing violations of Russian law or concerns about fraud and cybercrime. Earlier this year, the regulator targeted services like **Telegram** and **WhatsApp**, claiming that these platforms had failed to comply with local legislation. ### Bluesky's Limited Reach and the VPN Factor **Bluesky** has a relatively small user base in Russia, primarily consisting of individuals seeking alternatives after **X** (formerly **Twitter**) was blocked and other platforms became harder to access, according to **Aleksey Kozlyuk**, an expert at **RKS Global**. "The successive blocking of **Discord**, **Signal**, **Viber**, **WhatsApp** and now **Telegram** has pushed users toward alternative services that are still accessible – including **Bluesky** – and **Roskomnadzor** appears to have noticed this," **Kozlyuk** told Recorded Future News. Like other foreign platforms, **Bluesky** remains accessible in Russia through virtual private networks (**VPNs**), though the Kremlin has been increasingly attempting to restrict their use. ### Bluesky's Growth and the Broader Context The decentralized social network has experienced rapid growth since 2024, following a wave of departures from **X** after the re-election of U.S. President **Donald Trump**. **Bluesky** boasts approximately 43.7 million users, a figure significantly lower than **Elon Musk**-owned **X** or **Meta**’s **Threads**, which each have hundreds of millions of monthly active users. This action coincides with Russian authorities continuing to impose intermittent mobile internet shutdowns across parts of the country, which officials attribute to security concerns. Kremlin spokesperson **Dmitry Peskov** described the ongoing internet disruptions as a temporary measure linked to security considerations. "It’s clear that internet restrictions are causing inconvenience for many citizens, but that’s how it is now," **Peskov** told reporters on Tuesday.