Yandex Cloud and VK Cloud: Access Under Internet Restrictions

Yandex Cloud and VK Cloud Servers in the Russian Internet Ecosystem

Yandex Cloud and VK Cloud servers are generally included in allowed access lists within the Russian internet, as these services are provided by Russian companies and comply with Russian legislation regarding the sovereign internet. Websites hosted on these platforms typically have stable access, as the infrastructure of these cloud providers is integrated into the Russian internet ecosystem and has undergone necessary certification.

Table of Contents

• Legal Context of the Russian Internet
• Status of Yandex Cloud Under Restrictions
• Features of VK Cloud and Comparison with Yandex Cloud
• Practical Recommendations for Website Owners
• Technical Aspects of Access
• Alternative Options

Legal Context of the Russian Internet

Russia has a law regarding the sovereign internet, which requires telecom operators to ensure stable operation of the Russian internet under external threats. Within this legislation, a traffic management system was created, including white lists of permitted resources.

According to current regulations, Russian cloud providers, including Yandex Cloud and VK Cloud, are required to:

• Store data of Russian users on the territory of the Russian Federation
• Provide access to data to authorized government agencies
• Comply with the requirements of FSTEC and Roskomnadzor

It is important to note that the white list system mainly applies to foreign resources, not to Russian domestic infrastructure. Servers of major Russian companies generally have priority access to communication channels.

Status of Yandex Cloud Under Restrictions

Yandex Cloud, as a service owned by a Russian company, holds a special position in the Russian cloud services market:

• Infrastructure: Yandex Cloud data centers are located in Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg) and have direct access to main communication channels
• Certification: Yandex Cloud services comply with legislative requirements and are included in the allowed lists of telecom operators
• Network optimization: The company has its own backbone network ensuring stable operation even with restrictions on external access

User experience shows that websites on Yandex Cloud continue to operate stably even when restrictions on access to foreign resources are imposed. This is because Yandex’s infrastructure is deeply integrated into the Russian internet ecosystem.

Important: Yandex Cloud also provides CDN and caching services that can improve website availability even during local internet problems.

Features of VK Cloud and Comparison with Yandex Cloud

VK Cloud (formerly known as Mail.ru Cloud Solutions) is the cloud platform of VK (formerly Mail.ru Group). Here are the key differences from Yandex Cloud:

Advantages of VK Cloud:

• Integration with the VK ecosystem (social networks, messengers)
• More flexible tariff plans for startups
• Focus on the Russian market and compliance with all requirements

Potential limitations:

• Less geographical distribution of infrastructure
• Less developed CDN network compared to Yandex
• Possible additional checks when working with international services

Comparison table:

According to user experience, Yandex Cloud typically provides more stable access under restrictions due to its more developed infrastructure and fewer potential points of failure.

Practical Recommendations for Website Owners

Based on user experience under Russian internet restrictions, the following recommendations can be made:

1. Provider selection: For maximum availability, Yandex Cloud is preferable due to its more developed infrastructure and integration with the Russian network

2. CDN configuration: Use the built-in caching and content delivery services available with both providers

3. Redundancy: Consider duplicating key services on different platforms to improve fault tolerance

4. Monitoring: Set up continuous monitoring of website availability from different regions of Russia

5. Optimization: Minimize dependencies on foreign services (Google Analytics, Facebook, etc.)

Example: Many Russian e-commerce operating under restrictions host their main website on Yandex Cloud while using VK Cloud for test environments and backups.

Technical Aspects of Access

When working with Russian cloud providers under limited internet conditions, the following technical aspects should be considered:

• IP addressing: Yandex Cloud and VK Cloud servers use IP address ranges that are typically not blocked by Russian providers
• DNS resolution: Both providers use Russian DNS servers, ensuring stable domain name resolution
• Transmission protocols: Full support for modern protocols (HTTP/2, TLS 1.3) for secure and fast access
• Geographic proximity: Servers are located in Russian data centers, minimizing latency when accessed from Russian regions

To check availability, you can use monitoring services such as:

• Yandex.Metrika
• VK Cloud Monitoring
• Third-party services like UptimeRobot with Russian monitoring points

Alternative Options

If you are looking for additional options to ensure website access, consider:

1. Hybrid solution: Host the main website on Yandex Cloud and a backup version on VK Cloud

2. Local data centers: For maximum availability, consider hosting in Russian data centers certified by FSTEC

3. CDN services: Use Russian CDN providers for content caching throughout the country

4. Mobile networks: Optimize your website for mobile networks (many Russian providers have special conditions for traffic to Russian services)

In conclusion, Yandex Cloud is generally the preferred choice for ensuring stable website access under Russian internet restrictions due to its more developed infrastructure and deep integration with the Russian network. However, the final choice depends on the specific requirements of your project and budget.

Sources

1. Official Yandex Cloud Documentation - Network Architecture
2. VK Cloud - Infrastructure Information
3. Sovereign Internet Law - Document text
4. Roskomnadzor Recommendations for Internet Providers
5. Analysis of Availability of Russian Cloud Services - Industry Research