Russia has begun slowing down the Telegram messaging application, with Roskomnadzor, Russia’s federal communications regulator, set to implement partial restrictions from 10 February, following a wave of fines and administrative cases accusing the platform of hosting illegal content.
The Moscow Tagansky Court has registered eight administrative protocols against Telegram.
Seven relate to the platform’s failure to remove prohibited content, including what the court documents described as "extremist material" and explicit content. Another protocol concerns repeated failure to monitor and limit access to illegal content.
Each violation could incur a fine of 3-8 million Russian rubles, bringing the total potential penalties to 64 million rubles, around 830,000 USD.
Two protocols are scheduled for hearing on 11 February, with other cases set for February-March.
According to sources cited by RBC, Roskomnadzor also intends to gradually restrict Telegram’s functionality. “The work of Telegram has already begun to be limited,” one source said.
Users have complained of issues uploading media and sending messages, though VPN use appears to bypass these problems. Various error monitoring websites reported over 10,000 problem notifications from users across Russia in the past 24 hours.
Roskomnadzor previously restricted calls on Telegram and WhatsApp in August 2025, citing concerns that scammers and terrorists were using the apps to defraud or recruit Russian nationals.
In October 2025, the regulator introduced partial limitations on the services “to combat criminal activity.”
Telegram was previously blocked in 2018 after the company refused to provide encryption keys to Russia’s FSB security service but was unblocked two years later.
Telegram, one of the world’s largest messaging platforms, claims around 950 million monthly active users, according to founder Pavel Durov.
It is used by a wide range of newsmakers, including the Kremlin, courts, media outlets, celebrities, and exiled opposition, to share information instantly with a large audience. The app is also widely used in Russia and Ukraine, and by pro-democracy groups in Iran and Hong Kong.
The platform offers optional end-to-end encryption, meaning messages can only be read on the sender’s and receiver’s devices, though this is not the default setting.
Last year, the Russian government launched a state-backed rival app called MAX, which critics say could be used for surveillance, though state media have dismissed these claims as false.
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President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Morocco booked their place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a convincing 3-0 victory over Canada, ending the co-host's historic run in the tournament.
Kyrgyzstan’s ex-second in command, Kamchybek Tashiev, has been convicted of plotting to overthrow the country’s President Sadyr Japarov. Tashiev and Japarov had ruled the Central Asian nation in tandem since 2020, until the former was unexpectedly ousted in February.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Germany has requested urgent talks with China's ambassador following reports that Chinese authorities trained Russian soldiers, adding fresh strain to relations between Beijing and Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to use next week's NATO summit in Ankara to advance his push for greater European responsibility in security, with a bilateral meeting planned with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Paris seeks closer coordination with key allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
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