The Kremlin’s stranglehold on Russian life has a new target: the country’s most popular messaging app.
Ordinary Russians and even pro-Kremlin hawks expressed rare public opposition to the campaign to suppress Telegram, warning that it could backfire not only at home but also for the Russian military in Ukraine.
The app is integrated into the daily lives of people who support and oppose the government alike. But the Kremlin is instead directing people to a new “state” messenger, MAX, which many fear will be used to monitor people as part of a crackdown on freedoms that has deepened since the invasion of Ukraine. Those concerns have been compounded by a series of mobile internet outages, including recent disruptions in Moscow, which authorities have justified as necessary for security reasons.
Russians have been complaining for months that Telegram has been slow and sporadic, but this week users started reporting significant slowdowns.
NBC News spoke to ordinary Russians, pro-regime figures and human rights activists about the country’s new digital reality.
“Criminal” throttling on Telegram
Millions of people in Russia use Telegram every day for private communications and important information.
Russian officials, Kremlin propagandists, war bloggers, businesses, and celebrities use the app. It’s more than just a messenger, it’s an ecosystem for everything from drone updates from Ukraine to general news and commentary.
But authorities increasingly see Telegram as a hotbed for terrorist and criminal activity, and the country’s communications regulator has restricted the app and targeted its Russian founder. Similar rationales are already being used to restrict other messaging apps, including Meta-owned WhatsApp.
The campaign has drawn criticism even from President Vladimir Putin’s most ardent supporters.
Pro-Kremling gamer and activist Grigory Korolyov, also known as Grisha Putin, uses Telegram to help raise money for the Russian military. In exchange for donations, it provides stickers that Russian soldiers on the front lines put on artillery shells and fire into Ukraine.
Korolev, 19, calls himself a “cyber warrior” in President Putin’s so-called special military operations, the term the Kremlin uses for war. Despite his professed patriotism, the St. Petersburg native told NBC News that he doesn’t understand the logic behind restricting or banning Telegram. In fact, he considers it “criminal.”
He said in a phone interview that the app has become a hub for “patriotically-inclined” viewers and pro-war commentators, and that he and thousands of others are using it to raise money for the Russian military.
“I can only believe that there is a noble goal of turning everything into a sovereign state, but what is happening now is just sabotage,” Korolev said.
Another activist, Olga Kuligina, is collecting humanitarian supplies such as clothing, water and medical supplies for Russian troops and civilians in occupied Ukraine, which she calls Russia’s “new territory” in line with Kremlin rhetoric.
Krygina, 54, from the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk and now living in St. Petersburg, told NBC News in a phone interview that Telegram had been effective in organizing and delivering aid. But Kuligina said she and her fellow volunteers are increasing their presence at MAX in anticipation of a possible ban.
Kuligina said he had no problem using the new national messenger, but said he was “not happy” about Telegram’s closure.
She said she accepted the Russian government’s move to ban Telegram because “our secret services know very well.”
The Kremlin says Telegram does not comply with Russian law and is not cooperating with authorities to stop serious crimes allegedly being committed on the app. In response to NBC News reports from two Russian newspapers, Russian-born technology tycoon Pavel Durov, who founded Telegram in 2013, confirmed that he is being investigated on suspicion of “facilitating terrorist activities.” No formal charges have been filed.
Last month, Durov dismissed the case against him in an article in X magazine, calling it “a sad picture of a nation afraid of its own people.”
“Russia is restricting access to Telegram and forcing its citizens to use a state-controlled app designed for surveillance and political censorship,” Durov said.
But Russia is not alone in leveling such accusations. Durov was arrested in France in 2024 and charged with enabling various forms of crime on the app. He was allowed to leave France last year after pledging to “significantly improve” the site’s moderation of criminal activity.
Telegram did not respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communications regulator, has not officially stated any plans to ban Telegram. Asked Tuesday about the recent economic slowdown, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told NBC News he had “nothing to add” and said he was not aware of any contact with Messenger’s management.
“Forced” Alternative
On the muddy streets next to Pushkinskaya Square in central Moscow, people were reluctant to talk about a possible ban or whether they would consider switching to MAX. Most simply wanted to express their opinions without giving their full names, as is often the case in Russia, where dissent is punished.
“Unfortunately, it’s forced and I don’t like it,” Barbara said of the new national messenger. “That’s why I won’t install it.”
Artem, 44, said he installed MAX but encountered connectivity issues and accused its developer of creating a “shitty” product. He said he is not concerned about security because he feels Telegram is equally dangerous.
Russia unsuccessfully tried to ban Telegram in 2018 for failing to provide encryption keys to the FSB state security services.
Instead, the messenger continues to grow in popularity and is widely used by Russian state officials and Kremlin propagandists. It is equally popular among Kremlin critics.
Dmitriy Zail-Bek, who works with Perviy Otoder, a human rights project that helps people facing politically motivated charges in Russia, said he uses Telegram to establish “first-line contact” with Russians who need help.
“They want to stop Telegram because of organizations like ours, which are independent sources that are not under the control of the Kremlin.” Zail Bek, who is currently based outside Russia, expects many people in the country to continue using Telegram by deploying virtual private networks (VPNs), a technology that has allowed Russians to circumvent online restrictions.
Some officials also told NBC News that they are considering buying another cell phone to download the state-backed messenger if pressured. The app’s creators say it already has 100 million users, or nearly 70% of Russia’s population.
“I will switch to MAX only if there is no other option,” said Maria, who lives in Moscow. He did not want to publish his last name due to safety concerns.
But Zair-Bek is concerned that his organization will have a hard time reaching people who aren’t tech-savvy, and is considering having some presence on MAX.
State Messenger is functionally similar to Telegram, but it is also integrated with Russia’s government service portal and can be used as a type of digital ID.
As of September, Russia requires it to be pre-installed on all electronic devices. Authorities are increasingly directing Telegram viewers there, with one regional governor warning only MAX of Ukrainian drone attacks.
But users are reporting bugs and security concerns, downvoting the app, and sharing online memes about the pressures of use.
“Shoot yourself in the foot”
The possible ban on Telegram has been heavily criticized by popular Russian military bloggers, who argue that the military relies on the platform to communicate on the battlefield in Ukraine.
“For mobile fire groups assigned to combat (drones), Telegram has long been the only (and again, in all caps, only) communication channel,” the influential military channel Two Majors wrote last month.
Some bloggers reported this week, citing front-line sources, that Russian soldiers were being told to delete Telegram from their phones or face punishment. NBC News could not independently verify these reports.
Sergei Mironov, a controversial politician and ardent supporter of President Vladimir Putin, was also furious, calling Russian authorities “stupid” for slowing Telegram’s activities. Mironov said the Russian military “often does not have” any means of communication other than the telegraph. “Don’t deprive them of what will help them defeat their enemies and save their lives.”
Russia’s Ministry of Defense last month claimed that Russian troops in Ukraine only use “standard communication systems” that are not linked to messengers such as Telegram.
The Kremlin has also pushed back against the outrage, with President Putin briefed by the communications battalion commander at a recent public event, who said there were “no problems” with the military’s communications systems and that Telegram was a “hostile messenger.”
But military logistics experts told NBC News that the Russian military relies on Telegram for tactical communications, and the Kremlin doesn’t have many viable alternatives.
Ronald Tee, a military logistics expert at King’s College London, said the Russian military is likely to try to replace the MAX, but there is no data yet on how effective it would be on the battlefield.
Thi said the Kremlin is “prioritizing regime security over tactical effectiveness.”
