- Telegram CEO publicly condemns app restrictions in Russia
- Pavel Durov vows to keep fighting Russian censors ‘regardless of pressure’
- Russian AmneziaVPN confirms a “huge wave of new users”
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has strongly criticized the Kremlin’s decision to restrict access to the messaging app in Russia, vowing to resist the government’s government censors “regardless of pressure.”
The statement followed an increase in reports from Russian users experiencing significant slowdowns and connectivity issues.
The outage was officially confirmed by Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, which announced the implementation of “consistent restrictions” on the platform.
In a statement reported by RBC, the agency said the measures were designed “to ensure compliance with Russian law and ensure protection of citizens.”
The regulator accused Telegram of failing to protect personal data or take appropriate steps to combat criminal activity on the service. However, Durov has rejected these justifications, saying it represents an “authoritarian move.”
Russia is restricting access to Telegram to force its citizens into a state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship. This authoritarian move will not change our course. Telegram stands for freedom and privacy, regardless of the pressure.10 February 2026
“Russia is restricting access to Telegram to force its citizens into a state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship,” Durov wrote on X. He was referring to the Kremlin-backed MAX messaging app, a platform that experts have previously flagged for its “enormous surveillance potential.”
Durov also compared the ongoing Russian restrictions on Telegram to those enforced in Iran eight years ago, arguing that a state-imposed ban will not prevent citizens from using the app.
“Iran tried the same strategy – and it didn’t work,” notes Durov, adding that many Iranians still use the app.
The shift towards VPN services and other tools to circumvent censorship is already underway in Russia. AmneziaVPN, a provider known for its censorship-resistant tools, confirmed to TechRadar that it is seeing a “huge wave of new users” for its free service, AmneziaFree.
A sign of growing censorship
The latest restrictions were not unexpected to those monitoring the country’s evolving censorship apparatus.
Mazai Banzaev, founder and architect of Amnezia VPN, told TechRadar, “Amnezia had been preparing for possible Telegram blocks for about six months,” adding that he was “surprised that it happened so late.”
Banzaev argues that the disruptions are a clear indicator of the Kremlin’s long-term goal: the decoupling of Russia from the global Internet.
“Technically, Roskomnadzor appears to be blocking all major global services and cloud platforms, including Google, Amazon, Cloudflare and others,” he warned.
VPNs are also a target
As more Russians turn to VPNs to avoid these restrictions and maintain access to Telegram, using a VPN in the country is becoming increasingly difficult.
Russia’s fight against circumvention tools has entered a new phase, marked by massive investment in AI-powered Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and a tighter regulatory environment.
While Telegram offers its own built-in proxy system, Banzaev argues that using a high-quality VPN remains the most practical solution for the average user.
“In reality, only a small number of users are ready to manually configure proxies and handle Telegram’s settings,” he said.
Because the effectiveness of specific protocols can fluctuate daily, it’s worth downloading several apps so you can switch between them if disruptions occur. If you’re looking for a reliable free VPN, it’s worth checking out our guide to the best free VPNs.
