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Telegram blocking begins in Russia

16 March 2026 13:22 (UTC +04:00)

The blocking of Telegram has begun in Russia, APA’s Moscow bureau reports.

In recent days, users have filed tens of thousands of complaints about service disruptions.

According to experts, the messenger does not work from Russian IP addresses for some users, messages are delayed, and the service often fails to load on mobile internet.

Experts note that differences in outages between regions and operators may indicate that the restrictions are being tested.

It should be noted that Roskomnadzor has announced that Telegram will be fully blocked in Russia starting from April 1. The official Moscow stated that this decision was made because the platform does not comply with Russian laws and does not cooperate with Russia. Russian State Duma deputy Andrey Svintsov stated that Telegram will not work even with VPN.

Farid Akbarov

Russia Telegram Roskomnadzor internet censorship social media restrictions messaging apps Russian internet regulation Andrey Svintsov VPN digital policy