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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Russia’s communications watchdog announced partial restrictions on WhatsApp and Telegram calls on August 13, 2025, saying the services were being used for fraud, extortion, sabotage and terrorist activity. Those were the regulator’s allegations, not independently established findings. The announcement initially concerned calls—not all messaging—and later reports described a broader push against WhatsApp. They do not establish exactly which features work for every user in Russia today.
What Russia announced in August 2025
On August 13, 2025, Roskomnadzor said it was taking measures to partially restrict calls on WhatsApp and Telegram. The watchdog said the decision followed law-enforcement materials and citizen complaints. In a statement quoted by Interfax, it said: “We are informing that measures are being taken to counter criminals in accordance with the law enforcement agencies’ materials to partially restrict calls on these foreign messengers. No other restrictions of their functions are being introduced.”
Roskomnadzor’s stated rationale was that criminals used the apps for deceit and extortion and to involve Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activity. It also alleged that the services had ignored repeated requests to take countermeasures. The cited reports do not independently establish that the apps were the primary channels for those crimes or verify the regulator’s account of specific requests.
The Digital Development Ministry said calls could be restored if the services complied with Russian law. Early coverage reported complaints from users whose calls failed, but The Moscow Times also said it was able to complete calls to people in several regions. The initial impact was therefore not shown to be uniform. The Moscow Times’ report and Associated Press coverage document the early response.
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Why did the government say it was restricting calls?
Roskomnadzor connected the measure to an anti-fraud system that it said had operated since 2024, blocking calls from spoofed numbers on conventional Russian telephone networks. The regulator asserted that fraudsters shifted their calls to foreign messaging apps as a result. That is the government’s explanation for the restrictions, not an independently audited account of how fraud calls changed or what share moved to messengers.
The agency framed the measure as a way to counter crime. At the same time, its statement said that no other app functions were being restricted at that point. Those claims describe the official scope on August 13, 2025; they should not be read as a definitive account of later access.
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How WhatsApp and Telegram responded
A WhatsApp spokesperson defended the service’s privacy protections. As quoted by The Moscow Times on August 13, 2025, the spokesperson said: “WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and defies government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it from over 100 million Russian people.” The report identified the speaker only as a WhatsApp spokesperson.
Telegram
Telegram said it “actively combats misuse of its platform, including calls for sabotage or violence, as well as fraud,” and removes “millions of pieces of harmful content every day,” according to The Moscow Times’ account of the company’s response. Those statements are Telegram’s description of its moderation; the report does not independently verify the volume cited.
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How many people used the apps in Russia?
In July 2025, WhatsApp had more than 96 million monthly users in Russia and Telegram more than 89 million, according to Mediascope figures reported by the Associated Press. These are dated audience estimates that show the services’ reach when the call restrictions were announced, not their current audience.
AP also situated the announcement within Russia’s wider efforts to control internet access, including restrictive laws, platform bans and traffic controls. That is contextual reporting, rather than a stated explanation by Roskomnadzor for this specific measure.
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Did Russia later try to block WhatsApp completely?
Later reporting described developments beyond the August 2025 call-only announcement. In February 2026, the Associated Press reported WhatsApp’s statement that Russia had attempted to fully block the service. WhatsApp characterized the move as an effort to steer users toward MAX, a state-supported app. Both the full-block description and the claimed motive should be attributed to WhatsApp; they are not a feature-by-feature account of what users could access.
In July 2026, AP reported that Russian authorities had accused Telegram founder Pavel Durov of aiding terrorism. That allegation is a later development in the pressure surrounding Telegram, not evidence by itself of which app functions were restricted or available.
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- [Full Coverage Protection] - This screen protector offers edge-to-edge protection for your device, using military-grade explosion-proof glass. It is also compatible with most phone cases, the appropriate size ensures that the phone case won't squeeze the screen protector after installation, providing double protection for the edges of the phone.
- [High Privacy Protection] - The necessary choice for you in public places. Select the optimal anti-peeping angles for the anti-spy coating to balance privacy and visual comfort. Protect your personal privacy and sensitive information from being seen by people nearby who might peek. To better protect your phone, 3mm nano-scale ultra-thin aviation glass is chosen as the material, it also protects your eyes from harsh light, ensuring a softer visual effect.
- [Night Shooting Function] - This feature includes a specially designed dark circle phone camera lens protector. The camera lens protector uses new technology to seamlessly integrate augmented reality, maintaining high light transmittance and effective night shooting capabilities without needing a separate flash hole, ensuring original photo and video quality when the flash is used at night.
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Are WhatsApp and Telegram blocked in Russia now?
The reporting supports a clear timeline, but not a reliable map of current access. The August 2025 announcement covered partial call restrictions while saying other functions were unaffected at that time. Subsequent reporting included WhatsApp’s statement that Russia had attempted a full block. The available reports do not establish whether text messages, calls or other features are accessible to every user, carrier or region in Russia on October 8, 2026.
For the same reason, the 2025 statement that other functions were not being restricted should not be used as a current status update. A user’s experience at a particular time and location may not establish service availability across the country.
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