ASTRA: Russian officials buying second phones, SIM cards to use Max messenger

Russian officials, MPs, and managers of state companies are buying separate SIM cards and phones to install the national messenger Max, which is said to be a secure application for messaging, calls, and integration with government services, according to dozens of sources in government and state companies.

“Everyone believes that if you install Max on your phone, it’s the same as connecting it to the FSB,” a source close to the government told the Russian Telegram channel Faridaily, as cited by the Telegram channel ASTRA.

Some register in Max using their regular numbers, but purchase separate smartphones for it. At the same time, they do not synchronise contacts from their personal phones with the devices bought for Max, and use them only to communicate with colleagues.

“No one wants to leave Telegram. Everyone hopes that Pavel Durov [Telegram’s CEO] will figure out something to bypass the blocks, or that the problem will somehow get resolved,” said a source in one of the federal agencies.

He still communicates with superiors and colleagues via Telegram.

According to Faridaily, Maria Zakharova, Andrey Belousov, and Anton Siluanov have already registered in the national messenger. Meanwhile, Dmitry Peskov, Press Secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is in no hurry — for now, there is no account in Max linked to his long-time work number, which is tied to his Telegram.

For the record, Russian authorities, primarily through the telecom regulator Roskomnadzor, claim Telegram violates Russian laws and poses security risks. The main points repeatedly cited in 2025–2026 include the platform’s failure to protect personal data and comply with data localization laws. Telegram must store Russian users' data on servers inside Russia and provide it to authorities on request. It allegedly refuses to do so adequately.

Authorities accuse the app of being used for scams, extortion, recruitment for sabotage/terrorist acts (including by Ukrainian intelligence), and spreading "extremist" or illegal content. They say Telegram does not block prohibited material quickly enough or share encryption keys/backdoors.

Amid these developments, Russia launched a domestic messenger app, Max, that integrates with state systems and meets local security standards.

In late February this year, Russian authorities opened a criminal case against Pavel Durov, the creator of the messenger Telegram, under the article on “assisting terrorism”. Durov claims every day the authorities come up with new pretexts to restrict Russians’ access to Telegram, seeking to suppress the right to privacy and freedom of speech.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov