- Category
- Latest news
Russia Signals Potential Telegram Ban as Major Outages Sweep the Country
- Authors
![Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko]( "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
Oleg Matveychev, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, stated that Telegram could be “deported” from the country like an illegal migrant and may soon stop working in Russia if the service does not comply with local laws, according to The Moscow Times on March 16.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
“Since there are no visible movements from Telegram regarding a move to Russia, it will most likely no longer be able to work in the near future,” Matveychev said. He compared the platform to an “illegal migrant” that is “subject to deportation.”
These statements coincide with reports of massive Telegram outages across Russia. Data from the “Sboy.rf” monitoring service showed more than 18,000 complaints on March 14–15.
Users have reported significant difficulties sending messages and loading media files. The highest concentration of issues has been recorded in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and the surrounding regions.
Experts suggest the disruptions are specifically targeting Russian infrastructure. Vladislav Voytenko, a writer for “Kod Durova,” told Kommersant FM that Telegram is effectively not working via home internet providers for those using Russian IP addresses.
He added that “one can forget about Telegram working via mobile internet.” Voytenko noted that in regions using “white lists” for websites, most VPN services are failing to provide access to the app.
Mikhail Klimarev, head of the Internet Protection Society, estimated that Telegram’s availability in Russia dropped to 80% over the last two days. He emphasized that this is not a global technical failure, as no similar problems have been reported in other countries.
Russian authorities conducted a nationwide test to restrict access to Telegram and WhatsApp, laying the groundwork for a total ban following Vladimir Putin’s signature on a law establishing a state-controlled “sovereign messenger.”
Users across Russia reported simultaneous disruptions starting late on June 30, with nearly 12,000 complaints filed for Telegram and 1,500 for WhatsApp within 24 hours.
Analysts described the event as a “rehearsal for a full block,” noting that the services remained accessible only through VPNs during the targeted outage.
-457ad7ae19a951ebdca94e9b6bf6309d.png)
