Current traffic sources in 2026: what works in Kazakhstan and Russia

The main shift of 2026: the set of working ad channels in Russia and Kazakhstan has split almost like a mirror image. You can no longer take one media plan and run it on both markets. In Russia, Instagram, Google, GDN and TikTok are closed for the local audience; Yandex and Telegram remain. In Kazakhstan everything is legal, and Google leads in search there. So the first question when choosing a traffic source is now not "which channel is better" but "which market are we working for".

Below we break down each channel: Yandex Direct and RSYa, Google Ads and GDN, Instagram, TikTok Ads, Telegram Ads. What each is for, where it works, and what you need for a legal launch in Russia and in Kazakhstan.

Short answer: which channel works where in 2026

If you need a single table to start planning with, here it is.

The main takeaway from the table: in Russia the choice for paid traffic to the local audience has narrowed to Yandex and Telegram (plus VK, which we do not cover here). In Kazakhstan all channels are available, and the mix is built freely.

Yandex Direct and RSYa: hot demand and reach

Yandex is two different tools in one account, and they should not be confused.

Yandex Direct Search captures hot demand. The person has already formulated a query, typed "buy" or "order", and the ad meets them at the moment of intent. This is the most converting paid traffic: a realistic search CTR stays in the range of roughly 1.6-2.6%, and the lead is more expensive but higher quality. For B2B and services with clear demand, search is the foundation.

RSYa, the Yandex advertising network, is display reach: banners and text on partner sites, in email, on Yandex services. Demand here is colder, the person was not searching for you right now. The click is cheaper, but the CTR is lower too, realistically around 0.45-0.5%. RSYa is good for reach, retargeting and demand generation, not for a direct sale head-on.

Where it works. In Russia this is the main contextual advertising channel. In Kazakhstan Yandex also works and is gaining ground: the share of Russian-language search queries through it has grown to about 22%, so for the Russian-speaking audience of Kazakhstan Direct makes sense, even though Google is ahead there.

Google Ads and Google GDN: leader in Kazakhstan, closed for Russia

Google Ads on search is the same hot demand as Direct, only in the Google ecosystem. GDN, the display network, is the analogue of RSYa: banners and reach on millions of sites and on YouTube.

Where it works. Here the markets diverge sharply.

In Kazakhstan, Google is channel number one: about 72% of search queries go through it. For a Kazakhstani business this is the first channel for hot demand, while GDN covers reach and retargeting.

In Russia, Google Ads and GDN are unavailable for advertising to the local audience. The service is not formally blocked, but since 2022 targeting users inside Russia is technically impossible, and payment for Russian advertisers is cut off. Running Google from Russia only makes sense for an external audience: relocants and foreign markets, through a foreign legal entity and currency payment. For promotion inside Russia it is not a working option.

Instagram (Meta): a strong channel in Kazakhstan, banned in Russia

Instagram remains a powerful tool for B2C: visual niches, personal brand, emotional and impulse purchases, sales through the feed and Reels. Targeting by interests and behavior, a native format inside the feed.

Where it works. Again the markets diverge.

In Kazakhstan Instagram is legal and works in full. For B2C, services and visual goods it is one of the main channels for demand generation and awareness.

In Russia, advertising on Instagram is fully banned since 1 September 2025 under Federal Law No. 72-FZ. Meta is recognized as extremist, and the ban covers not only targeting (which had not worked since 2022) but also blogger integrations: posts, stories, reels with a call to buy. Fines for companies range from 100,000 to 500,000 rubles per placement, separately for each story or reel. Direct payment for promotion via a foreign card may even be treated under the article on financing extremism. Running a company account with neutral information is not yet banned by law, but any advertising is prohibited. The same law caught Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn and a number of other blocked platforms.

TikTok Ads: explosive growth in Kazakhstan, unavailable in Russia

TikTok Ads is short videos, a young audience and viral reach. A strong channel for B2C, demand generation and awareness, especially in the 18-35 segment.

Minimum budgets to launch via TikTok Ads Manager: more than 50 dollars at the campaign level and more than 20 dollars at the ad group level.

Where it works.

In Kazakhstan TikTok Ads is on the rise: by market estimates the platform has overtaken Instagram in reach of the 18-35 audience. For young B2C it is one of the fastest growing channels.

In Russia TikTok Ads is unavailable for targeting the local audience. Since March 2022 the platform suspended publishing new content and advertising for Russia, and the ad account for a Russian audience cannot be set up.

Telegram Ads: a working audience, works on both markets

Telegram is the only one of the social channels that works legally both in Russia and in Kazakhstan. The audience is a "working" one: people come here to read and to work, banner blindness is lower, and in identical niches a subscriber and a lead often come out cheaper than on Instagram. For B2B and information products it is now one of the strongest channels.

The ad format is simple: up to 160-167 characters of text, a button and one media. Targeting by channels (the channel language is required, plus topic and whitelist) and by users (geo, interests). Channels for targeting are better picked through third-party services like TGStat or Telemetr; the built-in search gives few options. CPM starts at roughly 0.5-1.5 euros.

The entry nuance. A direct contract with Telegram requires a 2 million euro deposit, so almost the entire market works through official resellers. Through a reseller the entry threshold drops to 250-500 euros for the first top-up plus commission and taxes, and some resellers let you start paying as costs are incurred. Account types differ by threshold and by labeling:

• Euro account (via a reseller): full functionality, including targeting subscribers of specific channels, automatic labeling for Russia. Suitable for regular budgets and long-term work.
• Stars account: a low entry threshold (from ~1000-2500 rubles), but without auto-labeling, with about a 21-day balance "maturing" and more limited functionality.
• TON account: payment in cryptocurrency, no labeling, no Russian legal entity, suitable for the CIS and abroad, but not for work by a Russian legal entity.

Where it works. In Russia Telegram Ads works through a reseller's euro account, and until the end of 2026 the FAS does not fine for advertising in Telegram, giving businesses time to adapt. In Kazakhstan a separate Kazakhstani account is opened with an official minimum from 500 euros, and creatives can be in Russian. Important: each country requires its own account, geo-targeting is tied to the account, and through one reseller under one contract you can open several at once.

Channel comparison: what for which task

Channels solve different tasks, and a channel's strength depends on whether the demand in front of you is warm or cold, and whether it is B2B or B2C.

The selection logic is simple. For hot demand, the search channels: Direct and Google. For reach and demand generation, the networks (RSYa, GDN) and video (TikTok). For B2B, the strongest are Yandex Search and Telegram. For visual B2C, Instagram and TikTok, but only where they are legal.

What you need to launch in Russia

Short answer: Yandex (Direct and RSYa) and Telegram work legally, and all advertising is labeled.

• Labeling is mandatory. Since 2022 all internet advertising in Russia is labeled: an ERID token, a "Реклама" mark, advertiser data, a report through an advertising data operator (ORD) to the unified ERIR registry. In Yandex Direct labeling runs in a simplified mode on the platform side; in Telegram through a reseller's euro account it is also automatic.
• Account for the bans upfront. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Google are unavailable for targeting the local audience. Placement on banned social networks is a fine, not a "gray zone".
• A 3% advertising levy. A mandatory levy has been introduced on the quarterly income of ad distributors and operators of advertising systems; this affects the economics of large placements.
• A realistic channel set for Russia: Yandex Direct Search for hot demand, RSYa for reach and retargeting, Telegram Ads for B2B and social traffic.

What you need to launch in Kazakhstan

Short answer: all channels are available, but there is its own advertising law and its own labeling.

• Online advertising labeling. The law "On online platforms and online advertising" and the online advertising labeling rules (since March 2024) apply. Targeted advertising is labeled automatically by the platform itself; influencers label it themselves.
• Language. As a general rule, advertising in Kazakhstan is distributed in Kazakh; for online resources the language is at the advertiser's discretion, but the text must comply with the law on languages. In practice, advertising should account for a bilingual audience.
• Personal data and consent. Targeting and lead capture forms fall under the personal data protection law; correct user consents are required.
• AI content labeling. A requirement to mark synthetic, AI-generated content is being introduced; this is worth building into creatives in advance.
• A realistic channel set for Kazakhstan: Google Ads Search for hot demand (the leader), GDN for reach, Instagram and TikTok for B2C, Yandex Direct for the Russian-language segment, Telegram Ads for B2B.

How to assemble a channel set for the task

A channel is chosen not by fashion, but by the combination of "market plus demand type plus audience".

For B2B in Kazakhstan the working core is Google Ads on search for hot demand and Telegram Ads for warming up and reaching decision-makers. Instagram and TikTok add awareness if the product is visual.

For B2B in Russia the core shifts: Yandex Direct Search plus Telegram Ads, because Google and Meta's social networks are closed for the local audience.

For B2C the main weight goes into visual and video channels: in Kazakhstan that is Instagram and TikTok plus search for hot demand, in Russia it is Yandex plus Telegram and VK.

This assembly, which channels to take for a specific market, demand and budget, how to separate hot and cold traffic and tie it all to end-to-end analytics, we at 4U build for the client's task rather than by a template. The same set for Kazakhstan and Russia no longer works in 2026.

Takeaways

Three decisions worth making before launching ads in 2026:

FAQ

Sources

• Federal Law No. 72-FZ (ban on advertising on prohibited platforms in Russia, from 1 September 2025); FAS clarifications and publications by Forbes, RBC, Meduza (2025-2026).
• Kazakhstan law "On online platforms and online advertising", online advertising labeling rules (since March 2024); reviews of the Kazakhstan digital advertising market (2026).
• TikTok Ads help center (minimum budgets); materials on the availability of Google Ads and TikTok in Russia (2026).
• Telegram Ads data: account types, minimum budgets, labeling (resellers eLama, industry guides 2026); Mediascope (Telegram audience, September 2025).