Overview
- Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor confirmed it is deliberately slowing Telegram, and users reported widespread problems loading photos and videos across the country.
- State media said at least seven administrative cases have been opened against Telegram this year, with potential fines of up to 64 million rubles for failing to remove prohibited content.
- WhatsApp criticized reported moves to make its service unusable, including removal from state DNS resolvers, and pledged to keep more than 100 million Russian users connected.
- The Kremlin is promoting the state‑backed Max messenger, which is being preinstalled on new devices, though some reports say the throttling has also impaired Max’s performance.
- Military bloggers and some officials warned that degraded Telegram access is hampering frontline coordination and civilian communications, as the Kremlin maintains that platforms must comply with local rules.