Russia’s major telecom operators MTS, Rostelecom and MegaFon are preparing to accept digital ruble payments from Sept. 1, 2026, as the first mandatory stage of the nationwide central bank digital currency rollout begins. MTS will support the CBDC via MTS Pay in the My MTS app and online store; Rostelecom will start with one-time website payments before adding account and recurring options; MegaFon is adding it as another method, while Beeline operator VimpelCom declined to comment. Wildberries and Ozon plan to accept digital rubles from the same date, with Ozon starting in test mode. Merchants with prior-year revenue above 120 million rubles that meet banking conditions, and Russia’s 12 systemically important banks including Sberbank, VTB, T-Bank and Alfa-Bank, must support the currency from launch, with further merchant phases in 2027 above 30 million rubles and in 2028 from 20 million rubles. Individuals face no platform fees and a 300,000-ruble monthly funding cap, while private cryptocurrencies remain barred from domestic payments even as Sberbank plans a crypto wallet under new digital-asset rules. The central bank is also exploring smart contracts and new wallet models, though recent polls show substantial public hesitation toward trying or receiving salaries in digital rubles.