Telephone numbers in Russia
Telephone numbers in Russia operate under a national numbering plan designated by the International Telecommunication Union with the country code +7, featuring 10-digit national significant numbers that integrate capacity codes to differentiate fixed geographic lines, mobile services, personal numbers, and other non-geographic assignments.[1] The system employs an open dialing format without a domestic trunk prefix for national calls, allowing direct dialing of the full 10 digits from within the country after an initial 8 or +7 for international consistency.[2] Administered through orders from the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media and supervised by Roskomnadzor, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media, the plan originates from Soviet-era conventions but was formalized in post-1991 reforms to accommodate expanding telephony and mobile networks.[3] Fixed-line numbers typically begin with 3–5 digit area codes tied to geographic zones, such as 495 or 499 for Moscow and 812 for Saint Petersburg, while mobile numbers start with 9 followed by a 2–3 digit operator code and 7-digit subscriber line.[4] This structure supports Russia's telecommunications landscape, where mobile subscriptions vastly outnumber fixed lines, reflecting adaptations to digital convergence and regulatory efforts to manage numbering resources amid high demand.[5]History
Soviet-Era Numbering Plan
The Soviet Union's telephone numbering plan operated as a four-level open system, structured hierarchically from subscriber to international levels, with local numbers generally consisting of 5 to 7 digits and standardization toward 7 digits in larger urban areas under a zonal framework.[6] This open plan allowed variable local number lengths without altering higher-level codes, facilitating gradual automation amid infrastructure constraints. Zones were defined by 3-digit codes assigned to oblast centers and major cities, enabling intrazonal direct dialing of subscriber numbers and interzonal calls via the national trunk prefix 8 followed by the zone code and subscriber digits, as in dialing 8 + 3-digit code + up to 7-digit local number.[6] The radial-tandem exchange hierarchy—spanning central exchanges in Moscow, republic capitals, and lower raion levels—supported this, though manual operator assistance predominated for many intercity connections due to limited automatic switching capacity.[6] Major hubs like Moscow and Leningrad featured denser networks and 7-digit local formats, serving as primary nodes in the Ministry of Communications' centralized grid, while regional variations persisted with shorter numbers in smaller locales reflecting uneven rollout.[6] Teledensity remained low, at roughly 7 main lines per 100 inhabitants by 1980, constrained by state-directed priorities favoring industrial over residential expansion and chronic shortages in cabling and exchanges.[7] Urban penetration reached about 23% of households by the mid-1980s, versus 7% rural, underscoring central planning's inefficiencies in allocating resources amid a 15-million-person waiting list, with 8 million enduring delays of 10 years or more.[8] Operational limitations, including overload on trunk lines and reliance on semiautomatic dialing where operators handled initial routing, further highlighted the system's scalability issues under unified state control, prioritizing reliability for administrative and military use over broad access.[6] Expansion efforts, such as five-year plans targeting trunk cable and exchange installations, yielded modest gains but failed to match demand, perpetuating wait times and regional disparities until the USSR's dissolution.[9]Post-Soviet Reforms and Standardization
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia's telephone numbering system initially fragmented amid the transition to independent telecommunications operators and regional variations in inherited Soviet infrastructure, necessitating federal coordination to prevent inconsistencies across the Russian Federation's vast territory.[10] The Ministry of Communications and Informatization, predecessor to later regulatory bodies, began unifying the system in the late 1990s and early 2000s to accommodate surging demand from economic liberalization and the rollout of digital networks, including early GSM mobile services that required integration with fixed-line codes starting around 1994.[11] This unification addressed capacity constraints in an open dialing plan that limited scalability for over 140 million potential subscribers by the mid-2000s, as fixed-line penetration grew alongside mobile adoption exceeding 100 million users.[12] Major reforms accelerated in 2005 with the replacement of trunk prefixes beginning with "0" (e.g., Moscow's 095) by "4" equivalents (e.g., 495 and 499), effective December 1, 2005, to align with ITU recommendations E.164 for international compatibility and free up numbering resources previously reserved for long-distance routing.[13][14] A two-month transition period until January 31, 2006, allowed dual-code operation to minimize disruption. By 2007, Russia abandoned zone-level open dialing in favor of a subscriber-significant closed numbering plan, standardizing national numbers at 10 digits (excluding the trunk prefix 8 or international +7) to enable uniform routing without variable-length local dialing, thereby boosting efficiency for integrated fixed-mobile networks.[15] Oversight shifted to the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor), established in 2008, which formalized the national numbering system through orders approving resource allocation and plan implementation, ensuring centralized management amid ongoing technological upgrades like IP-based switching.[3] These changes empirically expanded capacity, supporting a tripling of telecom lines from about 32 million fixed in 2000 to over 45 million by 2008, while facilitating seamless mobile-fixed interoperability critical for Russia's digital economy transition.[12]System Overview
Number Format and Structure
Russian telephone numbers conform to the E.164 international standard, consisting of the country code +7 followed by a 10-digit national significant number (NSN).[4] The NSN structure allocates the initial 3 to 4 digits to identify the service type—such as geographic fixed-line (starting with 3xx, 4xx, or 8xx excluding 800), mobile (typically 9xx), toll-free (800), or premium-rate services—while the remaining 6 to 7 digits comprise the subscriber number.[2] This closed numbering plan ensures uniform 10-digit dialing nationwide, eliminating variable-length local formats.[16] For fixed-line geographic numbers, the NSN begins with a 3- to 5-digit area code specific to regions or cities, followed by a subscriber number of corresponding length to total 10 digits; for example, Moscow and Moscow Oblast use the 3-digit code 495 or 496 prefixed to a 7-digit subscriber number.[4] Mobile numbers follow a consistent 10-digit format starting with 9, often grouped as +7 9XX XXX-XX-XX, where the second and third digits further classify operators or regions.[2] Special service numbers, such as toll-free 8-800-XXX-XX-XX, adhere to the same 10-digit length but incorporate prefixes denoting non-geographic usage.[4] Russia implemented a closed national numbering plan progressively from the late 2000s, mandating full 10-digit NSN dialing even for local calls within major cities like Moscow by 2011, superseding prior 7-digit intra-zone practices.[16] Number portability, allowing subscribers to retain their NSN when switching providers, was introduced for mobile services on December 2, 2013, with fixed-line portability following later; this preserves the number's structure and validity rules, including checksum validation for certain mobile prefixes to prevent invalid assignments.[17][18] The Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and [Mass Media](/page/Mass Media) oversees adherence to these ITU-aligned specifications, ensuring NSNs remain fixed at 10 digits without trunk prefixes in national dialing.[1]Transition to Closed Numbering Plan
The transition to a closed numbering plan in Russia addressed the limitations of the inherited open dialing system, where variable-length local numbers constrained capacity in high-demand zones and complicated routing without prior knowledge of number lengths. By the mid-2000s, projections indicated exhaustion of available numbers in major urban areas under the open plan, driven by post-Soviet expansion in fixed-line subscriptions, which reached approximately 45.5 million by 2008, alongside surging mobile penetration.[12] A closed plan standardized national significant numbers at 10 digits, incorporating area codes without truncation for local calls, thereby expanding addressable capacity per zone to 10 million lines and enabling predictive routing independent of dialing context.[15] This shift prioritized exhaust prevention through fixed-length allocation, contrasting open systems' inefficiency in scaling amid uneven regional growth. Implementation proceeded in phases starting around 2005, focusing initially on inter-zone connections to mitigate national routing errors. By 2007, open dialing was abandoned at the zone level, mandating full 10-digit national dialing for long-distance calls across the federation, as operators like CenterTelecom completed switches in licensed areas.[15][19] Full national closure, encompassing consistent 10-digit application without plan-specific adjustments, was achieved by January 2008, reducing dialing ambiguities and supporting network automation. Empirical outcomes included lower misdial rates and enhanced interoperability between fixed and emerging mobile networks, with unified destination codes facilitating seamless integration and future scalability for over 140 million inhabitants.[16] Local closed dialing in select regions, such as Moscow, followed later (e.g., July 2012), but the 2008 milestone established the core framework.[20]Dialing Procedures
Domestic Calls Within Russia
For calls within the same subscriber locality or zone in Russia, no national trunk prefix is required; subscribers dial only the local number, which ranges from 5 to 7 digits depending on the region's numbering capacity. In large cities like Moscow and Saint Petersburg, local fixed-line numbers consist of 7 digits.[21][2] Inter-zone or national long-distance calls within Russia require prepending the trunk prefix 8 to the full national significant number (NSN), which totals 10 digits comprising the area code (3 to 5 digits) and subscriber number (5 to 7 digits). This yields an 11-digit dialing sequence overall, such as 8 495 xxx xx xx for a Moscow fixed-line number. The NSN format was standardized to 10 digits nationwide following the closed numbering plan implemented progressively from 2008 onward, enabling consistent routing without variable-length adjustments except for purely local same-zone calls. Mobile numbers, treated as national destinations, are always dialed with the 8 prefix followed by their 10-digit NSN starting with a 3-digit mobile code (typically beginning with 9).[4][2][21] Callers can select alternative long-distance operators by inserting carrier access codes after the 8 prefix, such as 8 10 followed by the operator's identifier (e.g., 8 10 21 for certain providers), though most calls default to the subscriber's primary operator. Locality-specific variations persist, particularly in major urban areas where 7-digit local dialing remains common; attempting to dial the full NSN with 8 within the same zone may fail or route incorrectly, necessitating awareness of zone boundaries for efficient routing.[22] Since early 2025, anti-fraud regulations have mandated caller ID transmission for all outbound domestic calls, requiring registered numbers to display identifiable information to recipients, with phased enforcement beginning for legal entities and individual entrepreneurs by September 1, 2025. These measures, enacted via amendments to federal telecommunications laws, aim to curb spoofing and anonymous robocalls while prohibiting mass advertising via automated dialing. Non-compliance can result in call blocking by carriers.[23][24][25]International Calls Involving Russia
International calls to Russia are placed by dialing the international exit code of the originating country (such as 011 from the United States or 00 from most European nations), followed by Russia's country code +7 and the 10-digit national significant number, which incorporates both the area code and subscriber number without a separate trunk prefix or mobile indicator.[26][27] This closed numbering plan ensures uniform 10-digit dialing for all Russian destinations internationally, reflecting the 2010 transition to a non-geographic format where fixed and mobile numbers share the same length and structure.[28] The +7 country code originates from the Soviet Union's allocation in ITU world zone 7 and is jointly used by Russia and Kazakhstan, with Russia handling the majority of traffic and numbers.[29] Call routing under +7 relies on longest prefix matching of the full dialed number: prefixes such as +7727 direct to Almaty in Kazakhstan, while Russia's allocations (e.g., +7495 for Moscow or +791x for mobiles) cover distinct ranges like +73xx to +79xx (excluding Kazakh overlaps) and +78xx to +89xx, preventing conflicts through ITU-coordinated sub-allocations.[30] An intergovernmental agreement signed on October 31, 2024, between Russia and Kazakhstan formalizes this shared use, assigning specific code ranges within zone 7 to maintain interoperability without requiring Kazakhstan to adopt a separate code like the previously considered +997.[31][32] Outbound international calls from Russia begin with the prefix 00 for direct access or the traditional 8Code Assignments
Geographic Fixed-Line Area Codes
Geographic fixed-line area codes in Russia are three-digit codes (known as ABC codes) assigned to federal subjects, territories, or major cities within the national numbering plan under country code +7. These codes precede the local subscriber number (typically 7 digits), enabling a uniform 10-digit national format for domestic dialing after the trunk prefix 8. Assignments are based on geographic regions and population centers, with denser urban areas receiving priority codes and overlays to manage capacity; for instance, Moscow's original code was split in February 2005, introducing 499 alongside 495 for the city and adding 496 and 498 for the Moscow Oblast to accommodate growth.[37][38] The codes exhibit an empirical distribution reflecting Russia's expanse: series 300–399 and 400–499 dominate European Russia, while 800+ series apply to the Far East and Siberia, aligning with historical Soviet-era zoning adjusted post-1991 for administrative divisions. No codes are allocated to uninhabited or extremely low-density areas, ensuring resources focus on serviced populations. The structure has been static since the 2008 transition to a closed numbering plan, with only minor reallocations for subscriber expansion reported through 2022.[37] The following table lists primary geographic fixed-line area codes by federal subject or territory, as administered by the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media and reflected in international standards:| Federal Subject/Territory | Primary Area Code(s) | Major City/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of Adygea | 877 | Maikop |
| Republic of Altai | 388 | Gorno-Altaysk |
| Altai Krai | 385 | Barnaul |
| Republic of Bashkortostan | 347 | Ufa |
| Belgorod Oblast | 472 | Belgorod |
| Bryansk Oblast | 483 | Bryansk |
| Republic of Buryatia | 301 | Ulan-Ude |
| Chechen Republic | 871 | Grozny |
| Chelyabinsk Oblast | 351 | Chelyabinsk |
| Chuvash Republic | 835 | Cheboksary |
| Republic of Dagestan | 872 | Makhachkala |
| Irkutsk Oblast | 395 | Irkutsk |
| Kabardino-Balkar Republic | 866 | Nalchik |
| Republic of Kalmykia | 847 | Elista |
| Republic of Karelia | 814 | Petrozavodsk |
| Kemerovo Oblast | 384 | Kemerovo |
| Kirov Oblast | 833 | Kirov |
| Republic of Komi | 821 | Syktyvkar |
| Krasnodar Krai | 861, 862 | Krasnodar, Sochi (overlay) |
| Krasnoyarsk Krai | 391 | Krasnoyarsk (includes autonomous okrugs) |
| Kurgan Oblast | 352 | Kurgan |
| Kursk Oblast | 471 | Kursk |
| Leningrad Oblast | 813 | - |
| Lipetsk Oblast | 474 | Lipetsk |
| Magadan Oblast | 413 | Magadan |
| Republic of Mari El | 836 | Yoshkar-Ola |
| Republic of Mordovia | 834 | Saransk |
| Moscow (city) | 495, 499 | Moscow (overlays for capacity) |
| Moscow Oblast | 496, 498 | (overlays) |
| Murmansk Oblast | 815 | Murmansk |
| Nizhny Novgorod Oblast | 831 | Nizhny Novgorod |
| Novgorod Oblast | 816 | Veliky Novgorod |
| Novosibirsk Oblast | 383 | Novosibirsk |
| Omsk Oblast | 381 | Omsk |
| Orenburg Oblast | 353 | Orenburg |
| Oryol Oblast | 486 | Oryol |
| Penza Oblast | 841 | Penza |
| Perm Krai | 342 | Perm |
| Primorsky Krai | 423 | Vladivostok |
| Pskov Oblast | 811 | Pskov |
| Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) | 411 | Yakutsk |
| Sakhalin Oblast | 424 | Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk |
| Samara Oblast | 846, 848 | Samara, Tolyatti (overlay) |
| Saratov Oblast | 845 | Saratov |
| Republic of North Ossetia-Alania | 867 | Vladikavkaz |
| Stavropol Krai | 865, 879 | Stavropol, Mineralnye Vody (overlay) |
| Sverdlovsk Oblast | 343 | Yekaterinburg |
| Tambov Oblast | 475 | Tambov |
| Republic of Tatarstan | 843, 855 | Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny (overlay) |
| Tomsk Oblast | 382 | Tomsk |
| Tula Oblast | 487 | Tula |
| Tver Oblast | 482 | Tver |
| Tyumen Oblast | 345 | Tyumen |
| Tyva Republic | 394 | Kyzyl |
| Republic of Udmurtia | 341 | Izhevsk |
| Ulyanovsk Oblast | 842 | Ulyanovsk |
| Vologda Oblast | 817, 820 | Vologda, Cherepovets (overlay) |
| Voronezh Oblast | 473 | Voronezh |
| Yakutsk (part of Sakha) | Included in 411 | - |
| Yaroslavl Oblast | 485 | Yaroslavl |
| Zabaykalsky Krai | 302 | Chita |
Mobile, Toll-Free, and Premium-Rate Codes
Mobile telephone numbers in Russia are non-geographic, utilizing the three-digit prefixes from 900 to 999 (with certain exclusions for reserved ranges), followed by a seven-digit subscriber number, resulting in the full national format 8-9XX-XXX-XX-XX or internationally +7 9XX XXX XX XX. These prefixes support nomadic and virtual numbering, allowing portability across regions without geographic ties, and are allocated to major operators based on capacity needs amid high demand. Prominent allocations include MTS primarily using 91X ranges (e.g., 910–919), Beeline with 903, 905, and portions of 906, MegaFon with 92X series (e.g., 920–929), and Tele2 with 902, 904, and others like 953 or 977; specific sub-ranges are assigned by the regulator to prevent exhaustion as subscriptions exceeded 260 million by 2023, exceeding the population due to multiple SIM ownership and M2M connections.[39][40][41][42]| Operator | Example Prefixes |
|---|---|
| MTS | 910, 911, 912, 913, 914, 915, 916, 917, 918, 919 |
| Beeline | 903, 905, 906 (partial), 963, 964 |
| MegaFon | 920, 921, 922, 924, 925, 926, 929, 930 |
| Tele2 | 902, 904, 950, 953, 977, 999 (partial) |
Emergency and Universal Service Codes
In Russia, the unified emergency number 112 serves as the primary short code for accessing fire, police, ambulance, and other critical services nationwide, with calls routed free of charge regardless of mobile balance or SIM card status.[45] Introduced in the early 2010s and achieving full territorial coverage by the late 2010s, the system processed over 97 million calls in 2022 alone through integrated dispatch centers equipped for location tracking and multilingual support where available.[46] This single-number approach aligns with international standards, enabling operators to triage requests and dispatch appropriate responders while prioritizing routing over standard traffic.[45] Traditional service-specific codes remain operational alongside 112, particularly from landlines using two-digit variants, ensuring compatibility with legacy infrastructure:| Service | Mobile/Long-Distance Code | Landline Code | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire and Rescue | 101 | 01 | Handles structural fires, natural disasters, and EMERCOM operations.[47][48] |
| Police | 102 | 02 | Covers law enforcement, traffic incidents, and public safety.[49] |
| Ambulance | 103 | 03 | Provides emergency medical response for life-threatening conditions.[50][49] |
| Gas Emergency | 104 | 04 | Addresses gas leaks and utility hazards.[48] |
Territorial Integrations and Assignments
Codes for Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Abkhazia, recognized as independent by Russia on August 26, 2008, integrated its telephone numbering into the Russian +7 plan to achieve operational autonomy from Georgia's +995 system, with fixed-line codes assigned as +7 840 and mobile as +7 940.[52] This transition occurred on November 15, 2009, enabling direct domestic dialing from Russia without international prefixes and reducing connectivity costs through unified billing and infrastructure.[53] By early 2010, Abkhazian networks fully discontinued Georgian codes, ensuring exclusive use of Russian-assigned numbers for all services.[54] South Ossetia, likewise recognized by Russia on August 26, 2008, adopted Russian numbering under +7 shortly thereafter, assigning +7 850 for fixed lines and +7 929 for mobile operators to facilitate seamless integration with Russian networks.[29] This shift from prior Georgian prefixes allowed direct dialing across Russian territory, minimizing latency and expenses associated with cross-border routing.[55] The assignment supported post-conflict infrastructure rebuilding by leveraging Russia's extensive telecom backbone, yielding empirically lower tariffs—for instance, intra-zone calls treated as domestic—and enhanced reliability via shared maintenance protocols.[29] Both regions' adoptions underscore causal advantages of numbering unification: elimination of artificial international barriers post-recognition, which previously inflated costs by up to 50% for inter-entity calls under disparate plans, and bolstered service quality through Russia's centralized regulatory oversight, as evidenced by expanded coverage in remote areas without equivalent Georgian investment.[53][55] These changes, coordinated via bilateral telecom accords, prioritized functional interoperability over geopolitical disputes, with no reversion to pre-2008 formats despite external pressures.[52]Codes Assigned to Regions Annexed from Ukraine
Following the 2014 referendum and integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation, the region's fixed-line telephone numbers transitioned from Ukraine's +380 65 prefix to Russia's +7 365 prefix on May 7, 2015, with Sevastopol assigned the distinct +7 869 prefix; mobile numbers adopted +7 978.[56][57] This change integrated Crimean telephony into Russia's closed numbering plan, replacing Ukrainian infrastructure with Russian operators and enabling seamless domestic dialing under the +7 country code.[58] The migration involved a brief dual-numbering period to minimize disruptions, as mandated by Russia's Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications, addressing prior connectivity limitations tied to Ukrainian networks.[56] In the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), mobile subscribers of local operators Phoenix and Lugakom received +7 codes starting May 7, 2022, following referendums and Russian administrative recognition.[59] Fixed-line transitions followed, with Donetsk city's code shifting from +380 62 to +7 856 by July 2022, and Luhansk assigned +7 857.[60][61] These assignments, directed by Russia's Ministry of Digital Development, incorporated the regions into the national plan, phasing out +380 prefixes through operator-led re-registrations and network upgrades for interoperability with Russian fixed and mobile systems.[62] Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions underwent similar +7 integration post-2022 referendums, with initial rollout of +7 SIM cards via Russian-backed operators by late May 2022, transitioning from +380 prefixes to align with federal numbering.[63] This process, overseen by regional administrations under Russian federal guidelines, prioritized mobile connectivity before full fixed-line migration, enhancing links to Russian backbone networks and resolving wartime isolation from Ukrainian telecom services.[62][64]| Region | Fixed-Line Code Example | Mobile Integration | Transition Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimea | +7 365 (general), +7 869 (Sevastopol) | +7 978 | May 7, 2015[56][57] |
| Donetsk (DPR) | +7 856 | +7 (Phoenix operator) | Mobile: May 2022; Fixed: July 2022[60][59] |
| Luhansk (LPR) | +7 857 | +7 (Lugakom operator) | May 2022[59] |
| Kherson/Zaporizhzhia | +7 (phased rollout) | +7 SIM cards | May 2022 onward[63][62] |