Russian messenger forced to be installed at checkpoints in Kherson and Crimea

The occupiers at the checkpoints between the TOT in Kherson region and Crimea are forcing people to install the Russian state messenger on their phones. The absence of the program threatens with an additional check of the smartphone content with a special detector next month.

This was reported by the Yellow Ribbon resistance movement.

According to the activists, this forced installation became possible after the Russian government decided to mandatorily pre-install the state messenger Max on all mobile phones and tablets purchased from September 1, 2025.

In addition, starting from September 1, Apple devices must have the Russian RuStore app store installed, which is already mandatory for Android devices.

SCREEN SHOT: Yellow Ribbon Telegram page

Additionally, it is known that the occupiers have obliged educational institutions in the Luhansk region to switch to using the Max messenger as the main communication tool. According to Bloomberg, the development is being done by VK.

The messenger allows not only to exchange messages but also to manage finances and access public services. At the same time, it does not support end-to-end encryption, which makes it a potential tool for user control.

The resistance movement noted that in Crimea, the messenger actually functions as spyware. The program is already being actively used in educational institutions, banks and so-called public services on the temporarily occupied peninsula, making it a key tool for controlling citizens.

This is not the first time that the aggressor state has imposed on citizens which messengers to use. In 2023, in the temporarily occupied territories, the occupiers demanded that all teachers, students and their parents install the Sferum messenger developed by FSB-affiliated structures to control the population. The program is capable of spying on phone users, including transmitting data on contacts, calls, movements, and search queries.

Анна Літман