Despite the block, Russians have started watching YouTube more
In the first half of 2026, Russians began spending 24% more time on YouTube, despite restrictions on access to the video-sharing platform. On average, each user watched content on the platform for 99 minutes per day.
At the same time, the metric for the Russian video service Rutube—including views via its built-in player—decreased by 4.7%, to 41 minutes per day.
VK Video was not included in the study. However, the holding company stated that viewing time for the standalone app increased by 65% and approached 100 minutes per day.
YouTube became the main driver of growth in video content consumption in Russia in the first half of 2026.
The average viewing time on the largest video platforms during this period increased by 6%—to 87.7 minutes per day per user. At the same time, excluding YouTube, this figure would have decreased by 5%, according to Future Lab.
Researchers note that the situation was different a year earlier: during the same period, the overall figure on major platforms fell by 27%, while excluding YouTube, it grew by 32%.
Experts attribute YouTube’s growing popularity, in particular, to the large amount of high-quality content and the effectiveness of its recommendation algorithms.
Alexander Tunik, head of the product division at “Runet Rating,” notes that, in his opinion, the algorithms of Russian video platforms do not meet user expectations and lag behind the leading foreign platform.
For his part, Igor Demidov, CEO of the digital agency D-Agency, highlights Rutube’s challenges in attracting content creators.
At the same time, the situation regarding various viewing methods differs on Rutube itself: excluding the built-in player, the service’s average viewing time has increased to 62.8 minutes per day.
In Russia, YouTube began to be artificially slowed down in the summer of 2024. On February 10, 2026, the video-hosting domain disappeared from Roskomnadzor’s National Domain Name System. As a result, direct access to the service without additional tools—such as a VPN—became impossible.
Despite this, statistics from Future Lab show that in the first half of 2026, YouTube not only retained a significant audience in Russia but also demonstrated growth in average viewing time.
Future Lab cited this data in a study.
As a reminder, YouTube blocked 31 channels in Ukraine linked to Russian artists, propagandists, and individuals subject to sanctions.
YouTube removed Serbian director Emir Kusturica’s channel “My Life,” which he created in collaboration with Sputnik Serbia. Before it was blocked, the channel had about 30,000 subscribers.
YouTube blocked 12 channels in Ukraine that spread Kremlin narratives, justified Russian aggression, and supported the Russian military.
