Russian soldiers use Telegram for operational reasons as well as personal, but the Kremlin has halted all that — Russian soldiers use Telegram within their own units as well as for personal use, but the Kremlin has halted all that (Picture: Alamy)

Ukraine

Telegram restrictions: How limits on the messaging app will hit Russian soldiers

Russia has introduced further restrictions on Telegram, one of the country's most widely used messaging apps, which looks set to affect the lives of its soldiers.

State communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said this was due to a lack of action by Telegram to counter "criminal and terrorist" activity.

Roskomnadzor began limiting voice and video calls via the app last August, with some users complaining the app had been noticeably slower this week.

Now, a Russian court has fined Telegram around 11 million roubles - roughly £104,263.55 - for refusing to remove banned content.

On the frontline, Russian priests were filmed blessing uncrewed ground vehicles — The latest restrictions on the Telegram messaging app will leave Russian soldiers on the frontline further in the dark (Picture: Russian social media)

What is Telegram?

Telegram is a free and encrypted messaging platform,where you can send pictures, videos and create "channels" to send information to unlimited audiences.

It is used for private and public communications in and about Russia. The app is used by millions of people in Russia, including the military, top-level public officials and state media services.

The messaging app was founded by Russian-born entrepreneur Pavel Durov, who says the app would remain committed to protecting free speech and user privacy "no matter the pressure".

Telegram has been used heavily by Russia and Ukraine throughout the full-scale invasion, which started in February 2022.

Ukraine's president Zelensky uses it to provide daily updates, sometimes several times a day, on the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Individual military units also have their own channels, sharing compilation videos of their latest successful drone strikes on "the enemy".

Are there people spying for Russia on your street? Maybe

What impact will the new restrictions have on Russian soldiers?

It's likely to affect communications between soldiers on the battlefield.

Reuters is reporting that three men claiming to be members of a Russian anti-drone unit have made video appeals saying Telegram was vital to their work and urged the state's communications watchdog not to interfere with it.

Telegram is also how soldiers stay in touch with their friends and families and how the Russian public finds out about what is happening in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has suggested people switch to Russia's state-owned messaging service, called MAX. Although critics say MAX is used for surveillance and would therefore allow more control on the narrative of the fighting in Ukraine.

These latest restrictions on Telegram have come after Elon Musk switched off Russia's access to the satellite internet system, Starlink.

This sent the frontline into chaos.

The system is difficult to jam and was being used for battlefield communications and to provide real-time guidance to their attack drones.

In addition, the Kremlin has already severely restricted the use of WhatsApp and YouTube. State media have dismissed concerns that this is part of a wider strategy to force people to adopt MAX.