The Kremlin has formally blocked access to WhatsApp, telling reporters that the decision was taken because the platform failed to comply with russian law, particularly requirements for data access and cooperation with law enforcement and urging its roughly 100 million russian users to switch to a domestic alternative.
The move fits into a broader campaign to tighten state control over internet communications and information flow, which has intensified since russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
Read more: UK Defense Intelligence: Moscow Has Intensified Digital Repression, WhatsApp Is Now Emerging As the Next Major Target
The ban on WhatsApp comes amid a wider regulatory push. Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor, has also begun restricting access to Telegram, another major messaging platform used widely across the country.
At the centre of the Kremlin's strategy is Max, a state-backed "super-app" developed by the russian technology group VK that integrates messaging with payment functions, government services, and other services within one platform.
Originally launched in 2025 and later mandated to be pre-installed on all new smartphones sold within russia, Max has faced widespread criticism over privacy and surveillance concerns, as well as its deep integration with state infrastructure.
Unlike services such as WhatsApp, Max generally does not provide end-to-end encryption and collects various types of user metadata, which privacy advocates warn could make communications easily accessible to authorities.
As Defense Express previously reported, on February 6, 2026, the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, confirmed Ukraine had initiated a counterattack near Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia region.
Read more: UK Defense Intelligence: Ukraine Launches Counteroffensive Near Huliaipole, Reclaims 100 sq km
