WhatsApp accuses Moscow of trying to block communication of millions

A fierce dispute with foreign technology providers intensified after the Ukraine invasion of Moscow in February 2022, with Russia blocking Facebook and Instagram, the speed reducing the speed of Youtube, Alphabet, and issuing hundreds of fines for platforms that have not complied with Russian rules on online content and data storage.

“WhatsApp is private, encrypted from end to end and challenges the government’s attempts to violate people’s right to safe communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it to over 100 million Russians,” said WhatsApp on Wednesday night, promising to keep trying to maintain the encrypted services available in Russia.

Telegram said it actively fights the harmful use of its platform, including calls for sabotage, violence and fraud, and that moderators use AI tools to remove millions of malicious messages every day.

In July 2025, the monthly WhatsApp range in Russia was 97.3 million people, compared to 90.8 million from Telegram, according to mediacope data. Third place, VK Messenger, an offer from the VK state -controlled technology company, reached 17.9 million people.

(Report by Alexander Marrow, Gleb Stolyarov and Lucy Papachritis)