Image: from KOLYMAWEB X@kolymaweb
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
MOSCOW — In a significant escalation of its campaign to control the domestic information space, Russia’s state media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, has officially begun implementing nationwide restrictions on the messaging giant Telegram.
The move, which began in earnest on February 10, 2026, follows months of “partial restrictions” and culminated in a surge of user complaints as the platform became largely unusable for millions across the country.
A “Steady” Crackdown
Roskomnadzor confirmed the measures to the business publication RBC, stating that it is “steadily” restricting the app to ensure “protection of citizens” and compliance with Russian law. The agency alleged that Telegram has failed to curb fraudulent activities and has been used by “criminal and terrorist” elements.
“Services that systematically ignore Russian legislation are subject to gradual restrictions,” the agency stated, noting that Telegram had failed to remedy violations first flagged in August 2025.
While the legislative branch appeared somewhat distanced from the immediate technical execution, Alexander Yushchenko of the State Duma committee on information policy noted the issue hadn’t been formally debated by his committee. He acknowledged that Roskomnadzor maintains the legal framework to act independently.
Infrastructure Under Siege
The restrictions are not limited to Telegram. Reports indicate that Russian authorities are leveraging the National Domain Name System (NSDI), a cornerstone of the “Sovereign Runet” law passed in 2021, to target other platforms, including YouTube.
Technical specialists report that DNS requests for YouTube are being dropped by the NSDI. “The router simply cannot match the site address to its IP,” explained experts at the Exploit Telegram channel. “As a result, the service will be completely unavailable without a VPN.”
Durov Defiant
Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of Telegram, responded sharply to the restrictions from the company’s headquarters in Dubai. Comparing the situation to previous censorship attempts in Iran, Durov framed the move as an attempt to force citizens onto state-monitored alternatives.
“Russia is restricting access to Telegram in an attempt to force its citizens to switch to a state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship,” Durov wrote. He emphasized that despite the ban, Telegram “stands for freedom of speech and privacy, no matter the pressure.”
Key Disruptions Reported by Users:
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Media Loading: Photos and videos are failing to download.
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Message Delivery: High latency or total failure in sending/receiving texts.
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Access Denied: Total inability to open the smartphone app or web version without a VPN.
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Voice Calls: Continued interference with VoIP services, a trend that began last October.
With over 950 million users globally, Telegram remains one of the last bastions of relatively unfiltered information in Russia. As the “digital iron curtain” falls, the battle between state regulators and encrypted platforms appears to have entered its most aggressive phase yet.