Blocking of telegrams in Crimea prevented collections for the occupiers' army

The occupiers have restricted the operation of the Telegram messenger in Russia and in the occupied Crimea. Despite the Kremlin's statements about "security," this caused discontent among users and struck a blow to the interests of the Russian army itself.

This was reported by Krym. Realii.

About a month ago, Russia began systematically restricting access to Telegram. Not only the regions of the Russian Federation, but also the occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea, were affected. Officially, this is explained by the fight against threats and "prevention of terrorist attacks."

However, the real reaction of society looks different. According to a Levada Center poll, more than half of Russians do not support the blocking of popular messengers, including Telegram and WhatsApp. People are actively expressing their indignation on social media, including VKontakte.

Problems with the service began in the winter: users complained of freezes and slow performance. Later, the situation worsened: in April, access to Telegram without a VPN became almost impossible. Researchers from the OONI project recorded anomalies in the network of up to 95%, which indicates serious interference and actual blocking.

At the same time, the Russian regulator Roskomnadzor increased pressure on the platform legally. A number of protocols were drawn up against Telegram for refusing to remove content, and a court in Moscow imposed fines of millions of rubles.

The consequences of the blocking are already tangible. In Crimea, local residents have faced difficulties in work and communication, as the messenger is used not only for news but also for daily work processes. The alternatives promoted by the authorities cannot yet fully replace Telegram and are distrusted due to the risks of control and data leakage.

Dissatisfaction is evident even among supporters of the war. Pro-war communities complain that the restrictions have reduced their coverage and made it more difficult to organize meetings for the Russian army. Some attempts to protest the blockade have ended in the detention of activists.

The international human rights organization Amnesty International states that such actions have little to do with protecting citizens and instead restrict freedom of communication.

Political analyst Ihor Reiterovych believes that the main goal is full control over the information space. According to him, Telegram remained one of the few sources of alternative information available to Russians and residents of the occupied territories.

This is not the first attempt to restrict the platform. Back in 2018, the Russian authorities tried to force Telegram to hand over its encryption keys to special services, but they failed to completely block it. Now, the restrictions look much stricter and more systematic.

Since the end of 2025, the Russian messenger MAX has been aggressively introduced in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and Crimea. The new platform from VK is being positioned as a 'national super-application' that combines chats, government services, digital IDs, and payments. However, experts call it a tool for total control and surveillance.

Анна Бальчінос