Russian official dismisses Telegram blocking rumours as media speculation

Speculation about a possible blocking of Telegram in Russia is meaningless, as only Roskomnadzor can announce any real plans, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy Sergey Boyarsky told TASS.

“The topic of a possible Telegram ban continues to surface in the media and in comments by some of my colleagues in the State Duma,” Boyarsky said.

“My position is simple: speculating about blockings is pointless, and using a sensitive topic to boost one’s media visibility is questionable.”

Earlier today, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy Mikhail Delyagin suggested that the messenger could be fully blocked under a scheme similar to the restrictions imposed on YouTube. According to him, such a scenario could be implemented by September 2026. Delyagin later clarified that he does not possess any insider information and was merely expressing his own assumptions.

Last year, Roskomnadzor restricted voice calls in Telegram and WhatsApp in Russia. Sergei Boyarsky has previously stated that Telegram will not be blocked as long as all channels migrate to Max.

By Khagan Isayev