March 16, 2026
Russia’s long-anticipated block of messenger app Telegram has begun, experts say
Russia’s most popular messaging app, Telegram, has largely stopped working inside the country, according to user reports on outage-tracking websites.
TL;DR
- Telegram, Russia's most popular messaging app, is reportedly not working across the country.
- User reports indicate issues with opening the app, sending messages, and loading media.
- Outage tracking sites have seen a significant increase in complaints, particularly from major cities.
- Experts suggest that Russian authorities have begun blocking the service.
- Some experts believe VPN services may not circumvent the blocks, especially if access is limited to a government 'whitelist'.
- The slowdown had been occurring for some time, but recent reports indicate the desktop version has also stopped working.
- Russia reportedly plans to fully block Telegram in April, except on the front lines.
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