Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, said Russia’s efforts to block Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) triggered a major disruption in a domestic payment system, affecting millions of users.
According to Durov, the issue caused widespread problems on Friday, including failures in digital payments that forced services such as the Moscow metro to allow free entry and businesses like a regional zoo to switch to cash-only transactions. Russian authorities have not fully explained the outage.
The incident comes amid increasing restrictions by Russia on VPN services and messaging platforms. Officials argue these measures are necessary for national security, citing threats linked to the war in Ukraine and alleged foreign intelligence activities.
Durov criticized the restrictions, claiming that tens of millions of Russians are actively trying to bypass digital controls. He framed the situation as a form of “digital resistance” against state-imposed limitations on internet access.
Meanwhile, Sberbank acknowledged a technical issue but did not link it directly to VPN blocking efforts. Some local media reports suggesting a connection were later removed.
Russia has intensified pressure on platforms like Telegram, even slowing access speeds and promoting state-backed alternatives such as the MAX messaging app. Authorities have also raised allegations about foreign intelligence exploiting messaging platforms, claims Telegram denies.
The situation highlights growing tensions between government control of digital infrastructure and user demand for unrestricted access to online services.
