Foreign intelligence services can see messages sent by Russian soldiers using the Telegram messaging app, Russian Digital Development Minister Maksud Shadayev said today, Interfax news agency reported.
Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps in Russia, is widely used by Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, but the platform has come under pressure from authorities who have imposed restrictions over what they say is a failure to remove extremist content.
"There are numerous indications that foreign intelligence agencies have access to correspondence on that application and are using that data against the Russian military," Shadayev was quoted as saying.
Despite these problems, Russian authorities will not block access to Telegram for troops in Ukraine for now, Shadayev said, adding that they need “some time” to switch to other means of communication. He did not provide details.
Roskomnadzor, Russia's communications regulator, announced that it is slowing down Telegram as part of a broader crackdown on foreign-owned messaging apps, which it claims have failed to comply with Russian laws.
The Kremlin confirmed last week that the US messaging app WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms (META.O), had been completely blocked for violating local law, suggesting that Russians should instead turn to its “national messenger” MAX. Critics say MAX is a surveillance tool, a claim Russian authorities deny.
Last week, Telegram's founder, Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov, defended his app, saying it would remain committed to protecting free speech and user privacy "regardless of pressure."
A previous attempt by Russian authorities to block Telegram in 2018 sparked mass protests, including a rally in Moscow that drew more than 10.000 people.
On Wednesday, the opposition party Yabloko, which has no seats in parliament, filed a request to organize a rally "in defense of Telegram" in Moscow on March 1, with up to 5.000 participants. The party described Telegram as "the last space of freedom in Russia" and said efforts to block the app amounted to censorship.
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