Russian authorities have established an early April timeframe to implement a block on the Telegram messaging platform, RBC reported on Thursday. The restriction, if enacted as outlined by officials, would curtail widespread public and private use of the app across Russia.
Authorities assert Telegram is being used to distribute illegal and extremist material. Telegram has rejected those assertions, countering that the move is intended to compel users to switch to MAX, a state-operated messaging service.
According to RBC, the planned limitations are expected to leave Telegram accessible only on the front lines of the war in Ukraine by April. Military sources, war correspondents and politicians have described a strong reliance on the app by Russian troops. They say servicemembers use Telegram both to communicate with relatives back in Russia and for operational purposes.
The public exchange of accusations and denials highlights a standoff over control of a platform that many in Russia use for routine conversation and information sharing. Telegram's rejection frames the proposed restrictions as part of a broader effort to steer users toward government-managed communications infrastructure, specifically naming MAX as the alternative the state favors.
The planned timing - early April - sets a near-term horizon for the change in accessibility. Reporting indicates that, beyond that point, access may be geographically constrained, with frontline locations remaining as the primary areas where Telegram could still be used.
Context limitations - The reporting referenced here is based on the account attributed to RBC and statements from Telegram and unnamed military sources, war correspondents and politicians. The information reflects those claims and the timeframe they describe.