Russian Services Warn Against Telegram: Ukraine Allegedly Intercepting Frontline Data

The Russian security apparatus has taken unprecedented steps to marginalize Telegram, which since the beginning of the full-scale invasion has been a key communication tool for Russian troops and administration. FSB reported having "reliable data" that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are exploiting security vulnerabilities in the platform to intercept intelligence data. Simultaneously, Roskomnadzor has begun technically throttling the app's speed, which experts interpret as final preparations to block the service within the Russian Federation. Telegram was founded in 2013 by Pavel Durov as a niche platform emphasizing privacy. However, after 2022, it paradoxically became the main medium not only for the Russian opposition but primarily for so-called "Z-bloggers" and soldiers who use the app to coordinate logistics and artillery targeting. The introduced restrictions are, however, meeting resistance within the Russian army. Reports indicate that internet blockades are backfiring on Russian units themselves, which are heavily reliant on civilian communication infrastructure. Instead of Telegram, authorities are pushing their proprietary solution called Max, which is intended to be fully transparent to special services. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that President Vladimir Putin signed a law giving the FSB the right to disconnect specific users from the network under the pretext of "protection against threats." Concurrently, economic tensions are rising in the region – Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened Ukraine with halting electricity supplies if it does not restore the transit of Russian oil. „ФСБ располагает достоверной информацией о том, что вооруженные силы и спецслужбы Украины способны в кратчайшие сроки получать информацию из мессенджера Telegram и использовать ее в военных целях.” (The FSB has reliable information that the armed forces and special services of Ukraine are capable of obtaining information from the Telegram messenger in the shortest possible time and using it for military purposes.) — FSB statement The Kremlin's actions are perceived as an attempt to centralize control over the flow of information from the front, where uncontrolled soldier reports often exposed command errors. Switching to the government messenger Max will allow for mass censorship and easier surveillance of individuals critical of the conflict's course. However, a sudden change in communication habits for tens of thousands of soldiers on the contact line with the enemy could lead to temporary operational chaos in Russian units.