Russian Services Warn Against Telegram: Ukraine Allegedly Intercepting Frontline Data

The Russian security apparatus has taken unprecedented steps to marginalize Telegram, which has been a key communication tool for Russian troops and administration since the start of the full-scale invasion. FSB reported having "reliable data" that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are exploiting security vulnerabilities on 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 logistical operations and artillery targeting. The imposed restrictions are, however, meeting resistance within the Russian army. Reports indicate that internet blockades have backfired on Russian units themselves, which are heavily reliant on civilian communication infrastructure. Instead of Telegram, the authorities are pushing their proprietary solution called Max as a "national" alternative, and critics point out that its operational model and legal environment may facilitate access to data by the services compared to messengers offering end-to-end encryption by default. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that President Vladimir Putin signed a law giving the FSB the right to cut off from specific users' networks 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 possesses 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 have often exposed command errors. Switching to the government-backed messenger Max would allow for mass censorship and easier surveillance of individuals critical of the conflict's course. However, a sudden change in the communication habits of tens of thousands of soldiers on the contact line with the enemy could lead to temporary operational chaos within Russian units.