Foreign spies can see Telegram messages sent by Russian soldiers, Ifax cites minister

Telegram, one of the most popular messenger services in Russia, is widely used by Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, but is under pressure from the authorities who have imposed restrictions on it over what they say is its failure to delete extremist content.

"There are numerous indications that foreign intelligence agencies have access to the messenger's correspondence and are using this data against the Russian military," Shadayev was cited as saying.

Despite those issues, Russian authorities will not block access to Telegram for troops in Ukraine for now, Shadayev said, adding that they would need "some time" to switch to other means of communication. He did not provide details.

Telegram did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Roskomnadzor, Russia's communications regulator, has said it is slowing down Telegram's service amid a wider crackdown on foreign-owned messengers which it says have failed to comply with Russian law.

The Kremlin confirmed last week that U.S. messenger app WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab, has been completely blocked for failing to comply with local law, suggesting Russians turn to a state-backed "national messenger" - MAX - instead.

Critics say MAX is a surveillance tool. Russian authorities deny this.

DEFENDING TELEGRAM

Last week, Telegram's Russian-born founder, entrepreneur Pavel Durov, defended the app, saying it would remain committed to protecting freedom of speech and user privacy "no matter the pressure."

A previous attempt by Russian authorities to block Telegram in 2018 triggered mass protests, including a rally in Moscow that drew more than 10,000 people.

On Wednesday, the Yabloko opposition party, which does not have any seats in parliament, applied to stage a rally "in defence of Telegram" in Moscow on March 1 for up to 5,000 participants. The party described Telegram as "the last space of freedom in Russia" and called efforts to block it censorship.

Such applications for mass rallies in Russia are routinely rejected by local and federal authorities on various grounds, including COVID-related restrictions on public assembly.