Russian President Vladimir Putin will leave millions of Russians in a blackout with his recent move to block Telegram completely.
According to Russian Media sources, Telegram will be completely blocked in Russia, effective from April 1.
Russians plan to use the same scheme that was previously used to block Instagram and Facebook.
“They plan to implement the blocking using the same scheme previously applied to Instagram and Facebook,” the statement read.
The country’s restrictions on popular social media apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, aim to create an alternative to foreign tech platforms in Russia.
Social media platform Bans in Russia
Russia’s restrictions on social media platforms started in 2018, when Telegram was temporarily blocked.
A temporary ban on the app was imposed after the parent company refused to provide encryption keys to Russian security services.
Later, on June 18, 2020, the temporary ban on Telegram was lifted after Telegram expressed its willingness to cooperate with the Russian Federal Security Service to counter terrorism.
Roskomnadzor argued that the apps’ primary voice services were used for fraud and other criminal activity.
Since May, regional authorities have repeatedly cut mobile internet access, citing efforts to counter Ukrainian drone attacks.
In October, Russia imposed a mandatory 24-hour mobile internet blackout for foreigners entering the country with a foreign SIM card.
An internet blackout in Russia during this time caused major inconvenience for travelers, expatriates, and cross-border businesses.
Over 11,000 complaints were reported during the period when the Telegram app was slowed down.
Russia’s telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor said in a statement that it would continue to restrict the operation of the Telegram messenger.
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2025/2026 Russian social media Restrictions
In 2025, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) banned Telegram and WhatsApp.
Recently, in August, Roskomnadzor announced restrictions on calls via Telegram and WhatsApp.
According to state media, a Moscow court has opened seven cases against Telegram since the start of 2026 for allegedly refusing to delete content authorities flagged as pornographic.
Telegram platform faces a fine of approximately $820,000.
Russian officials plan to replace the officials who are promoting a national messaging platform called Max.
Max is a government-backed service modeled on China’s WeChat and developed by the creator of the social network VKontakte.
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Reaction to the Russian move to Ban Telegram
Marie Struthers, Eastern Europe and Central Asia director at Amnesty International, has, however, criticized Russian authorities’ restrictions on social media.
She stated that the restriction undermines the ability of the Russian citizens to communicate freely and securely.
According to Marie, the restrictions are used to tighten the state’s control over online communication in the country.
Regions bordering Ukraine, such as Belgorod, have stated that further disruption on Telegram would pose a safety risk.
The governor of the Belgorod region stated that most residents rely on Telegram for news and emergency updates during the war.
Additionally, pro-war military bloggers also criticized the move, claiming that Telegram is widely used in Russia and that the military uses it to coordinate logistics, crowdsource supplies, communicate with supporters, and share frontline updates.
However, Peskov Dmitry, the Press Secretary of Vladimir Putin and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia, refuted the claims.
Peskov said that military communications are not conducted through messaging apps and the ban on Telegram has limited effect on military front-line operations.
Most major Western platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Discord, are inaccessible in Russia without a VPN.
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