New Russian Laws: Pensions Indexed, Anti-Fraud Tightens, Telecom Rules Arrive

What Changes in Russia This August

On July 31, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin outlined a set of laws coming into force across Russia in August, touching pensions, fraud, privacy, tax administration, and telecom infrastructure. The most immediate financial change is the indexation of state-funded pensions: the accumulated (nakopitelnaya) pension will rise by 17.3%, and the urgent (srochnaya) pension payment by 19.32%, affecting more than 160,000 recipients.

A new anti-fraud law introduces criminal liability for violations committed when signing mobile or internet service contracts with foreign nationals or stateless persons. It also strengthens penalties for illegally collecting or distributing information about a citizen’s private life and for breaching the confidentiality of correspondence and telephone conversations. Volodin noted that since 2021 the State Duma has passed 19 federal laws aimed at combating fraud.

Several measures target social and military support: members of volunteer formations gain a right to additional leave for personal circumstances, and children of Heroes of Russia or full holders of the Order of Glory are to be enrolled in schools and kindergartens on a priority basis (effective from July 26). The chairman emphasised that legislative backing for the special military operation, and support for soldiers, officers and their families, remains a key Duma priority.

On the administrative side, from August 1 tax notifications will be sent primarily through the Gosuslugi portal for citizens who are registered on the platform; those not registered, or who have opted out, will still receive paper notices. The regime of tax secrecy is extended to data held in a taxpayer’s personal account on Gosuslugi. From August 6, a separate law establishes liability for persons managing apartment buildings who violate rules on interacting with telecom operators during the installation, operation or dismantling of networks.

Policy Signals Behind the Legislative Package

A Social Compact Test: Pension Increases vs. Inflation

The 17.3% and 19.32% hikes for a limited pool of recipients—those drawing funded and urgent payments from the mandatory pension system—contrast with the wider flat-rate supplements seen in previous months. It suggests the government is calibrating support to specific groups rather than a blanket approach, likely to manage fiscal pressures while still addressing the most visible inflation-driven hardship. With CPI running above the central bank’s 4% target, the increase may largely offset, rather than boost, real incomes for the affected 160,000 pensioners.

Cracking Down on Telecom Fraud and Privacy: Stricter Levers for Law Enforcement

The new criminal penalties for telecom contract violations involving foreign nationals signal heightened scrutiny of a channel frequently exploited for SIM-card-based fraud and grey-market networks. By tightening the rules at the point of service activation, authorities aim to cut off a source of anonymous numbers used in scams. The parallel strengthening of privacy and correspondence-secrecy laws indicates a dual-track approach: protecting citizens’ data while giving investigators more teeth to pursue violations. For mobile operators and internet providers, compliance will require stricter ID verification protocols and could raise the cost of connecting migrant or non-resident customers.

Digitising the Taxman – with a Privacy Caveat

Making Gosuslugi the default channel for tax notices accelerates the state’s push to migrate administrative processes online. Extending tax secrecy to the platform’s personal accounts is a necessary safeguard to prevent expanded digital footprints from becoming a vector for phishing or identity theft. However, the opt-out via paper notices remains a concession to digitally excluded households, and the effectiveness of the secrecy measure will depend on implementation—particularly cross-referencing with the anti-fraud law that widens surveillance capacity.

Building Managers Get a New Telecom Duty

From August 6, building management bodies face explicit liability for obstructing or mismanaging telecom network activity inside apartment blocks. This is likely aimed at reducing disputes that have delayed fibre and mobile infrastructure in residential compounds. For operators, clearer rules could speed rollout but may also open a front of litigation if building managers are overzealous in imposing conditions. The rule is a minor structural shift that quietly favours connectivity expansion.

Who Needs to Act and How

For Citizens

• If you receive a funded or urgent pension from the state system, the August payment should reflect the 17.3% or 19.32% rise respectively—no application needed, but verify your August statement for accuracy.
• Registered users of Gosuslugi should check that the account’s contact details are up to date; tax notifications will default to digital delivery from August 1 unless you actively opted for paper.
• Be alert to phishing attempts that exploit the tax-notification change. Official communications will arrive in your Gosuslugi personal cabinet, not via SMS or email links.
• Families of Heroes of Russia or full Order of Glory holders can now apply for priority school or kindergarten places, with the rule already in effect since July 26.

For Businesses

• Telecom operators and MVNOs serving foreign nationals must review customer onboarding procedures to ensure strict ID verification; criminal liability now attaches to non-compliance at the contract stage.
• Apartment building management firms should audit their current procedures with telecom operators to avoid fines from August 6. Cooperation agreements may need updating to reflect the new liability standard.