The Kremlin has sparked anger by moving to slow down and restrict the messaging app Telegram, with proponents of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine warning that it could negatively impact frontline operations. The policy is part of Russia’s overall campaign to tighten its hold on the spreading of information. Soldiers have criticised the decision after Elon Musk blocked their access to Starlink internet.

“The front is in shock,” one soldier wrote in a message posted on pro-war channels. “Starlinks are gone, now they’re jamming Telegram too. How are we supposed to fight? With carrier pigeons?”

In a video posted on the Russian monitoring channel Lpr 1, three soldiers spoke to Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, begging officials not to further change access to Telegram. “I’m addressing Roskomnadzor,” a man said. “My call sign is DJ. I’m currently on combat duty. Telegram is our only channel of communication. Do not deprive us of it.”

Another warned that the app is important for hitting back after Ukrainian drone strikes, The Kyiv Independent reported.

He said: “At the moment we need a tool like Telegram. Don’t slow it down, don’t block it. It allows us to exchange information quickly in order to intercept drones.”

Another fighter from the Albatros anti-drone unit said the change would make Russian forces less effective, especially in newly invaded parts of Ukraine, as it would be harder to counter UAVs.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that the Kremlin “throttled” Telegram on February 9 and 10.

Experts wrote: “The Kremlin has been engaged in a widespread censorship campaign to regain control over the Russian information space since late 2022, when the Kremlin began to censor, arrest, and coopt Russian milbloggers who criticised the Kremlin and its methods of waging war in Ukraine.”

They added: “Russian authorities justified their initial efforts to deliberately restrict Telegram by blaming the platform for enabling scammers to commit fraud against Russian citizens.

“The Kremlin introduced the state-controlled messenger app Max in March 2025 and has been attempting to entice and coerce Russian citizens to abandon other messaging platforms for Max.

“The Max platform has remained largely unpopular among Russians, however.

“The Kremlin is likely more significantly restricting Telegram now in order to incentivize Russians to switch to Max, as previous Russian efforts to do so have been largely ineffective.

“Telegram founder Pavel Durov assessed on February 10 that Russia is restricting access to Telegram to force Russian citizens to switch to Max.”