Overview
- Russia’s FSB said Ukrainian forces can quickly extract Telegram content and use it for military purposes, claiming the app’s use has endangered soldiers at the front.
- Authorities have not announced a nationwide shutdown, though the telecom regulator recently throttled the service over alleged legal noncompliance.
- Digital Minister Maksut Shadaev said Telegram should be used only provisionally in combat zones until the government’s Max platform takes its place.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted the leadership still uses Telegram to disseminate messages even as more agencies migrate to Max.
- Officials demand local storage of Russian user data and accuse Telegram of failing to remove banned content and curb fraud, accusations the company repeatedly denies.