How We Tested
Russia's internet landscape has become increasingly distinct following regulatory changes that require ISPs to use state-approved DNS infrastructure as part of the sovereign internet law (Federal Law No. 90-FZ). We tested DNS resolvers from Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Novosibirsk to capture the diversity across European and Siberian Russia.
Our testing covered Yandex DNS, Cloudflare, Google, Quad9, and local Russian provider DNS. Each resolver was tested 200 times per location on residential connections from Rostelecom, MTS, and VimpelCom. The results show a clear advantage for Yandex DNS, which has the most extensive DNS infrastructure within Russia, while international providers face increased latency due to regulatory inspection of cross-border traffic.
DNS Server Rankings for Russia
1. Yandex DNS 77.88.8.8 — 5 ms median
Yandex DNS is the fastest resolver for Russian users by a wide margin. With nodes distributed across Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and other major cities, Yandex achieves 5 ms median response times. It supports DNS-over-HTTPS and DNS-over-TLS, provides built-in malware and phishing protection, and offers a family-safe mode. For Russian users, Yandex DNS is the clear default choice.
2. Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 — 35 ms median
Cloudflare operates nodes in Moscow, giving Russian users reasonably competitive response times of 35 ms median. While higher than Yandex, this is still fast enough for most applications. Cloudflare's encrypted DNS support helps bypass ISP-level DNS filtering that is common in Russia. However, Cloudflare traffic still goes through Russia's TSPU (Technical Means of Countering Threats) inspection systems.
3. Google Public DNS 8.8.8.8 — 42 ms median
Google DNS faces higher latency from Russia at 42 ms median. Google does not have dedicated DNS infrastructure inside Russia, so queries route through international links. Google DNS remains functional and widely used, particularly by Russian users who need resolution for Google services.
4. Quad9 9.9.9.9 — 40 ms median
Quad9 achieves 40 ms median from Russia, with traffic routing through European nodes. Its threat blocking is useful for protection against malware, though some Russian users report false positives for legitimate Russian-language websites in Quad9's block lists.
5. NextDNS — 28 ms median
NextDNS routes Russian traffic through European nodes at 28 ms median. Its customizable filtering allows ad and tracker blocking at the DNS level, which is popular among technically inclined Russian users.
6. AdGuard DNS 94.140.14.14 — 30 ms median
AdGuard DNS, originally a Russian company before relocating, still maintains good peering with Russian ISPs. Response time averages 30 ms median. AdGuard DNS blocks ads and trackers network-wide and is particularly popular in Russia due to the company's roots and Russian-language support.
7. Rostelecom DNS — 15 ms median
Russia's largest ISP operates DNS resolvers that averaged 15 ms median for Rostelecom subscribers. While functional, Rostelecom's DNS is subject to the country's DNS filtering requirements under the sovereign internet law, and it does not support encrypted DNS natively.
Quick Recommendations
Best Overall for Russia
Yandex DNS 77.88.8.8 is the fastest and most reliable DNS resolver for Russian users with 5 ms median response times, broad node coverage across Russia, and encrypted DNS support.
Best for Privacy
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 provides strong privacy protections with nodes in Moscow at 35 ms median. For Russian users concerned about ISP surveillance, Cloudflare's no-logging policy and encrypted DNS are significant advantages.
Best for Ad Blocking
AdGuard DNS 94.140.14.14 offers excellent ad blocking with 30 ms median response times and full Russian-language support. Its free tier is unlimited and provides comprehensive protection.
Best for Rostelecom Subscribers
Rostelecom's default DNS averages 15 ms, but switching to Yandex DNS drops response times further to 3 to 7 ms and bypasses ISP-level content filtering restrictions.
How to Change Your DNS in Russia
Changing DNS in Russia works through router settings or device configuration. Rostelecom, MTS, and VimpelCom routers support custom DNS configuration. Access your router admin panel, find network settings, and update DNS to Yandex's 77.88.8.8 and 77.88.8.1, or Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1.
Device-level changes are straightforward on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. Android users can set Private DNS to a provider hostname. Given Russia's internet regulations under Federal Law No. 90-FZ, using encrypted DNS through DoH or DoT is recommended to prevent ISP-level inspection and filtering of your DNS queries.
Note that DNS-level changes cannot bypass Russia's internet blocking of specific websites. The TSPU system operates at multiple network layers, and DNS filtering is just one component. For access to blocked resources, a VPN is required. However, using Yandex DNS or Cloudflare DNS with DoH ensures your domestic DNS queries are fast and your browsing history is not logged by your ISP.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest DNS server for Russia?
Yandex DNS 77.88.8.8 is the fastest DNS resolver for Russia with a median response time of 5 milliseconds. It has nodes across major Russian cities and supports encrypted DNS protocols.
Is Cloudflare DNS fast in Russia?
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1 has a node in Moscow and achieves 35 ms median response times. This is acceptable for most purposes but slower than Yandex DNS, which has more extensive Russian infrastructure.
Are there DNS servers located inside Russia?
Yes. Yandex DNS has extensive infrastructure across Russia including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Novosibirsk. Other Russian providers like Mail.ru also operate local DNS resolvers.
Does DNS-over-HTTPS work in Russia?
Yes, DoH works in Russia with most ISPs. It is actually recommended as a way to prevent ISP-level DNS filtering and inspection. Yandex DNS supports DoH, and Cloudflare DNS works well through DoH from Russian networks.
Can I bypass internet blocks with DNS changes?
No. Russia's internet blocking operates at multiple network layers beyond DNS. Changing your DNS resolver alone cannot bypass TSPU-level blocking. A VPN is required for accessing blocked resources.
Test Your DNS Speed from Russia
Network conditions vary across Russia's vast geography. Run our DNS speed test to measure live response times from your connection. The tool tests multiple resolvers including Yandex, Cloudflare, and Google.
Run DNS Speed Test
For more comparisons, visit our global fastest DNS rankings or best DNS servers list.