(Reuters) – Russia’s blockage of Meta Platforms Inc.’s top social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram (NASDAQ:), prompted a surge in demand for internet users to find ways to circumvent the restrictions, according to data from a monitoring company.

After Meta decided last week that Instagram users in Ukraine could post messages such “Death To the Russian Invaders” on Monday, access to Russia’s Instagram was blocked. Moscow claimed that Facebook had been blocked because of restrictions placed on Russian media access.

According to Top10VPN data, the demand for Virtual Private Networks that encrypt data or hide the location of users jumped 2,088% in the wake of Instagram ban.

Russia was targeted in unprecedented west sanctions for its actions in Ukraine. Russia is now trying to stop the flow information. It has been stifling social media companies with slow traffic and even outright bans in cases like Instagram and Facebook.

As Russian and Ukrainian websites were attacked by hackers, the demand for VPNs was already on the rise.

Russia blocked several VPNs last Year, but failed to ban them all as part a larger campaign, which critics believe stifles Internet freedom.

Top10VPN’s data analysis of nearly 6,000 entries to Russia’s central registry for blocked websites revealed that Russia is currently blocking 203 news sites as well as 97 forex and crypto sites.

Roskomnadzor, the Russian state communications regulator said Monday that cyberattacks against Russian IT infrastructure and systems have sharply increased from Feb. 24, according to Roskomnadzor.

The warning was made to cyber attackers, which could result in criminal charges.