Russia has begun blocking voice calls on the hugely popular messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram, deepening a campaign to bring the country’s online space under closer state control.

The communications regulator Roskomnadzor said it had “partially” restricted calls because the foreign-owned platforms were being used “to deceive and extort money, and to involve Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activities”. The digital development ministry added that access would be restored “after they start complying with Russian legislation”.

Users across the country reported that WhatsApp calls were plagued by distorted audio while Telegram calls failed outright, problems confirmed by Reuters. The clampdown affects some 96 million monthly WhatsApp users and 89 million Telegram users, according to data firm Mediascope.

Moscow has long demanded that foreign tech companies store data inside Russia and hand over information to security services. President Vladimir Putin has also ordered the development of a domestic messenger, Max, which is expected to be pre-installed on all new smartphones.

Both platforms rejected the accusations. “WhatsApp is private, end-to-end encrypted, and defies government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication, which is why Russia is trying to block it from over 100 million Russian people,” the company said in a statement.

Telegram said its moderators “actively combat harmful use of its platform including calls for sabotage or violence and fraud” and that artificial-intelligence tools remove “millions of malicious messages every day”.

Critics argue the restrictions are part of a broader attempt to establish “digital sovereignty”. Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has banned Facebook and Instagram, throttled virtual private network services and intermittently cut mobile internet in some regions, steps that human-rights groups say limit free expression and access to independent information.

For now, only voice traffic is officially blocked, but many users complain that video calls and some text functions are also unreliable. Analysts warn that further curbs could push millions towards the state-backed Max service, where data will be shared with authorities on request.

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