What Is IT Relocation in 2026
IT infrastructure relocation to Russia in 2026 means fully restoring a company's IT that suspended Russian operations in 2022–2023. Unlike simple migration, relocation involves working with partially lost assets: missing credentials, outdated equipment, changed legislation.
Key features of 2026: stable Russian cloud market (Yandex Cloud, SberCloud, VK Cloud), reliable server hardware supply channels, and accumulated practical experience of rapid IT recovery from scratch.
8-Stage Relocation Roadmap
Stage 1: IT Audit (Week 1)
Inventory: servers, network equipment, licenses, domains, cloud accounts, backups. Interviews with key staff.
Stage 2: Site Selection (Weeks 1–2)
Choose deployment model: public cloud, colocation, or hybrid. Compare 3–4 providers.
Stage 3: Hardware Procurement (Weeks 2–4)
Russian-assembled servers (Yadro, Kraftway), networking (Eltex, QTECH), storage. Current compatibility matrix.
Stage 4: Network & VPN (Weeks 3–4)
VLAN segmentation, managed switches, WPA3-Enterprise Wi-Fi. VPN tunnels to head office.
Stage 5: Active Directory & Email (Weeks 4–5)
Domain, GPOs, user migration. Email with anti-spam, DKIM/SPF/DMARC.
Stage 6: Workstation Setup (Weeks 5–6)
Laptops, golden OS image, encryption, EDR, MDM. Remote access via VPN or ZTNA.
Stage 7: Data Migration & 152-FZ (Weeks 6–7)
DB migration, 3-2-1 backup, personal data localization: flow audit, encryption, access controls.
Stage 8: Testing & Launch (Weeks 7–8)
Load testing, failover verification, admin training. Handover to operations.
Cloud vs Colocation vs Hybrid
| Criteria | Russian Cloud | Colocation | Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to start | Hours–days | 3–8 weeks | Days + weeks |
| Capex | Minimal | High | Medium |
| Control | Limited | Full | Partial |
| 152-FZ | Provider-dependent | Full control | Configurable |
| Scaling | Instant | Slow | Flexible |
Cost Benchmarks 2026
Office 20–50 people, cloud: from 800K RUB. Production 200+ seats, data center: from 3M RUB. Fixed quote after free audit.