YouTube could soon see a significant drop in speed in Russia, with Google’s servers soon to be disconnected from Russian data centres.

This action, which is expected to significantly degrade YouTube's quality and speed, has been attributed by Russian officials to Google's legal inability to finance its server infrastructure in Russia due to the sanctions imposed in 2022 in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

On July 26, Alexander Khinshtein, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technology and Communications, alleged that Google's use of "grey and semi-criminal schemes" to manage server payments has caused Russian data centres to stop collaborating with the tech giant. This disruption could potentially lead to a 70% decrease in YouTube loading speeds.

“The future fate of YouTube in Russia is in Google’s hands,” Khinshtein wrote on his Telegram channel. 

The politician proposed two potential strategies for the company to solve the speed issue: first, by setting up its own data centres within the country and establishing a local representative office, and second, by engaging in negotiations with the US government to potentially lift the sanctions.

He also encouraged the company to comply with Russian laws, especially in relation to the so-called Special Military Operation, and called on YouTube to unblock the channels of Russian media outlets, bloggers, and public figures, as mandated by Roskomnadzor, the country's media watchdog.

Concerns are growing that these actions might be a precursor to a total block of YouTube in Russia, with local news outlets suggesting that access to the platform could be restricted as early as September. Although the Kremlin officially denies any plans to restrict YouTube, some believe that the current slowdown is a deliberate policy.