Russia plans to block unregistered smartphones from mobile networks

In Russia, there are plans to require owners of smartphones imported without proper customs clearance to register their devices by IMEI. A two-week grace period is planned for this, after which unregistered devices may lose access to mobile networks.

The Russian Ministry of Digital Development has confirmed that it is working on the relevant regulation. Registration is planned to take place through the “Gosuslugi” portal, and there may be a fee for the service. 

 The new rules will apply, in particular, to smartphones that people have personally brought in from abroad, as well as to counterfeit devices.

The decree is expected to take effect in March 2027. At the same time, smartphones operating on Russian networks until April 2027 will be allowed to continue functioning without registration.

A representative of the Russian Federation’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry warned that the new regulations could lead to a price increase of up to 40% for smartphones and cause a significant portion of “gray market” importers to exit the market.

Alexander Sidyakin, chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Committee on Digital Development, stated that the next war will involve the widespread use of artificial intelligence, and human participation in it will be minimal.

Anzhelika Glazkova, a State Duma deputy from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), introduced a bill that would rename St. Petersburg to Leningrad and Volgograd to Stalingrad. According to the document, the cities must be given their new names within one year after the law takes effect.

Earlier, the State Duma’s cafeteria renamed the popular “Kyiv-style cutlet.” At the start of the parliament’s fall session, a new price tag appeared next to the dish, reading “cutlet with butter.”