Russia Tightens Telegram Restrictions Again

Roskomnadzor, the Russian federal agency tasked with overseeing mass media and telecommunications, has introduced new restrictions on the Telegram messaging app.

Russian users have reported widespread slowdowns on Telegram, the country’s most popular messaging platform, with an estimated 100 million users, The Caspian Post informs, citing The Moscow Times.

An unnamed source confirmed that the disruptions are a result of measures implemented by Roskomnadzor.

The action comes as the Kremlin continues to tighten control over telecommunications and media following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In recent years, Russian authorities have partially or fully restricted access to several widely used platforms, including Signal, Viber, WhatsApp, and YouTube.

Authorities have also intermittently cut mobile internet service in parts of the country since May 2025, citing security concerns and the threat of Ukrainian drone attacks.

Despite the expanded restrictions, Russian officials have downplayed the likelihood of a total ban on Telegram.

“I believe Telegram interacts quite effectively with the governments of most countries, including Russia. Therefore, I don’t think there’s any need to worry about Telegram’s future,” Andrey Svintsov, deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, told Russian state media.