Saily and Airalo in Russia: Do They Work in 2026? (and the alternative that does)

Short answer: no. Neither Saily nor Airalo works in Russia in 2026, but for different reasons, and it’s worth understanding them so you don’t waste time or money before your trip. Saily doesn’t offer —and never has offered— plans for Russia; Airalo did have them, but pulled them from its catalogue in 2022 after the sanctions.

If you just want to know what to use instead, the eSIM that does work and offers the best value for money today is Yesim. If you want to understand why Saily and Airalo are left out, read on.

This is step 8 of my guide to planning a trip to Russia in 10 steps, where you’ll find everything else in order.

Does Saily work in Russia?

No. Saily has no eSIM plans for Russia, and never has.

Saily is the eSIM from the NordVPN team (Nord Security), launched in 2024. Although it covers more than 200 destinations, Russia isn’t one of them because of regional restrictions: it’s a European cybersecurity company that, like others in its sector, doesn’t operate in the Russian market.

There’s a very common misunderstanding here: a lot of people search for «Saily blocked in Russia» thinking it stopped working. That’s not it. It isn’t blocked; there simply is no Saily plan for Russia you can buy. If you go to their website and look for Russia among the destinations, it just doesn’t show up.

Does Airalo work in Russia?

Airalo did have an eSIM for Russia years ago, but it pulled it from its catalogue in 2022, after the conflict in Ukraine and the international sanctions.

You may still come across comparison sites or third-party websites showing a supposed «Airalo plan for Russia»: that information is out of date. Airalo itself, when you search for Russia, doesn’t offer a working tourist plan.

Why did they stop working?

Both stories —and that of other brands like Jetpac— share the same origin. After February 2022, international sanctions broke much of the infrastructure that let Western eSIMs operate on Russian networks:

• Roaming agreements with Russian carriers were cut off.
• Visa and Mastercard stopped working in Russia, and payment gateways became complicated.
• Numerous Western tech and telecom companies left the Russian market for regulatory and reputational reasons.

The few that still work —Yesim, among others— kept agreements with specific carriers (Beeline, T2 or MTS), and that’s why they still provide data in Russia.

Don’t confuse it with the 24-hour block of October 2025

It’s important not to mix up two different things:

• The fact that Saily and Airalo don’t work is a commercial decision.
• The 24-hour block the Russian government has applied since October 6, 2025 is something else: it affects all foreign SIMs and eSIMs —including the ones that do work—, cutting off data during the first hours after you connect to a Russian network for the first time. It’s not a fault of any brand and it’s fixed with a quick SMS verification.

So which eSIM does work in Russia?

The one that works best today and offers the best value for money is Yesim. In short:

• It connects to Russian networks (Beeline + T2) and switches automatically to whichever has the best signal.
• Unlimited or per-GB plans, valid for 30 days.
• You buy online with a foreign card, get the QR code by email and install it before you leave.
• When you land you get an SMS with a verification link to speed up the unblocking during those first hours.

If you’d rather see all the options that are still operating and compare them at your own pace, here’s the full comparison of the best eSIMs for Russia in 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is Saily blocked in Russia?

No. Saily has never offered plans for Russia, so it’s not a block: the product simply doesn’t exist for that destination. Saily is the eSIM from the NordVPN team and it doesn’t cover Russia.

Can I use Airalo in Russia?

Airalo withdrew its Russia coverage in 2022 after the sanctions. Any listings that still show it are out of date.

So which eSIM works in Russia?

Today the most recommended option is Yesim. You can see all the options in the comparison.

Why did some eSIMs stop working in Russia?

Because of the 2022 international sanctions, which broke the roaming and payment agreements between Western providers and Russian carriers.