Experts warned businesses about changes in the .ru domain zone.

      The transition of VK from the international domain vk.com to the national vk.ru, which began against the backdrop of the company's applications being blocked in foreign stores, has revealed much deeper processes than just a change of address. As experts interviewed by Newsler.ru explained, this is a conscious integration into the new architecture of the Russian internet. "The transfer of VK to the .ru domain is not just a technical maneuver," notes strategic business systems architect Andrey Koshulyanu. "It is a condition for entering the 'white list' and a guarantee of accessibility for users." It should be noted that starting from autumn 2025, a mechanism for "white lists" has been in place in Russia — a list of websites that remain accessible during temporary mobile internet outages. According to Roskomnadzor, in June 2026, 655 outages were recorded across the country, which is ten times higher than the figures in May.

      Risks of the .com zone

      The question of whether a domain in the .com zone can be blocked for a Russian company has two dimensions: technical and legal. And both are assessed by experts as quite real. "Technically — yes, it can. It is enough to influence the registrar or the root DNS servers. Legally — yes, too. There are precedents: blocking Iranian websites, seizure of domains from Crimean tour operators without judicial proceedings," lists Koshulyanu. He emphasizes the key difference: in the case of .ru, the owner has the opportunity for judicial protection in Russian jurisdiction. In the .com zone, such an opportunity does not exist.

      IT lawyer Anna Ryazanova agrees with this. However, she clarifies that the main risks today come not so much from ICANN, but from individual participants in the infrastructure: registrars like GoDaddy, hosting providers, and foreign software suppliers. That is why lawyers increasingly recommend that clients choose a domain in the .ru or .рф zone as their primary domain, leaving .com only as brand protection.

      Centralization of .ru — identification, not tightening the screws

      Starting September 1, 2026, Federal Law No. 569-FZ will come into force, radically changing the approach to managing national domains. The main innovation is mandatory identification of owners through the "Gosuslugi" portal (ESIA). As legal advisor of the registrar Tatyana Karkhaleva explains, ".RU, .РФ, and .SU domains are transitioning to unified registration rules. Now any action with a domain — registration, renewal, transfer — is carried out only after identity confirmation through ESIA." For legal entities, it will require linking a responsible employee.

      Andrey Koshulyanu draws attention to the deeper meaning of these changes: "The domain name is transitioning from the category of 'technical tool' to the category of 'legally significant asset.' If the administrator does not pass identification, they will lose the ability to renew the domain." According to him, this is not a Russian "invention," but a global trend — similar requirements are already in place in Europe for the .eu, .de, .fr zones.

      VK as a pioneer: a forced measure or strategy?

      Experts agree that VK's step is part of a long-term strategy, not a panic reaction to blockages. "The technical complexity of the operation (large-scale redirect, updating SSL certificates) is comparable to the costs of any major migration," analyzes Koshulyanu. "The main result: the possibility of transferring a multimillion audience to a national domain without loss of quality has been demonstrated." According to his forecast, other major players will follow VK, although for those with international assets, the transition will be longer. He also advises medium-sized businesses to start parallel development of domains in the .ru zone in advance so that the migration is not urgent but planned.

      "Bottlenecks" and the fate of .su

      The technical readiness of the .ru zone is beyond doubt: as of early 2026, over 6 million domains are registered here, making it one of the five largest national domains in the world. However, real risks, according to experts, lie in adjacent layers of infrastructure. At the end of June 2026, the certification authority GlobalSign began revoking SSL certificates for Russian companies under sanctions. This shows that even with control over the domain, access can be restricted through certificates.

      As for parallels with the .su domain, which ICANN plans to decommission by 2030, experts are categorical: the analogy is incorrect. ".su is a domain for a country that has ceased to exist. Its removal is an economic feasibility," explains Koshulyanu. "The .ru zone is the zone of an existing state. Its closure is not planned; on the contrary, its legal status is being strengthened through Law No. 569-FZ."

      Checklist for website owners

      Based on the analysis, experts recommend business owners:

      - Create a registry of domains indicating registration dates and responsible persons.

      - Develop a recovery plan with a backup address in the .ru zone for critical domains.

      - Appoint an employee with access to ESIA responsible for domains.

      - Assess dependence on foreign certification authorities and work on transitioning to Russian CAs.

      As Andrey Koshulyanu summarizes: "In the geopolitical context, individual businesses are not a subject of interest — their domain, certificates, and payment tools are elements of a larger system. Architectural maturity ceases to be a competitive advantage and becomes a condition for survival."