Telegram CEO condemns new restrictions in Russia as citizens turn to VPNs to bypass the blocks

• Telegram CEO publicly condemns app restrictions in Russia
• Pavel Durov vows to keep fighting Russian censors "no matter the 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, promising to resist government government censors "no matter the pressure."

The statement followed a surge in reports from Russian users experiencing significant slowdowns and connectivity issues.

The disruption 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 legislation and ensure the protection of citizens."

The regulator accused Telegram of failing to safeguard personal data or take adequate steps to combat criminal activity on the service. However, Durov has dismissed these justifications saying it represents an "authoritarian move."

"Russia is restricting access to Telegram to force its citizens onto 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 won't stop citizens from using the app.

"Iran tried the same strategy – and failed," notes Durov, adding that many Iranians still use the app.

The shift toward VPN services and other censorship circumvention tools 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 expanding censorship

The latest restrictions were not unexpected for 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 it happened this 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 seems ready to block 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 evade these restrictions and maintain access to Telegram, using a VPN in the country is becoming increasingly difficult.

Russia's battle against circumvention tools has entered a new phase, characterized by massive investment in AI-powered Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and a tightening legislative 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 set up proxies and deal with 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 disruption occurs. If you're looking to find a reliable free VPN it's worth checking out our guide on the best free VPNs.

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!