Russian authorities have been ordered to remove the letters from the app

According to them, some of the largest Russian businessmen have received similar orders.

Some officials who spoke to Barca said they had not yet received instructions to remove the letters but expected to do so at the start of the working week.

Following news of the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in France, some Russian military-themed channels said that Russian soldiers were actively using Telegram during the war in Ukraine.

“If the bulk of the combat management of the Russian Armed Forces is in your environment, you should not fly to France. You can seek cooperation,” wrote military expert Ilya Kramnik.

Andrejs Medvedevs, an employee of the Russian state broadcaster VGTRK, called Telegram “the main information platform in the current war” and “an alternative to closed military communications.”

“In fact, ‘Telegram’ has now become almost the main means of commanding (military) troops in the special military operations zone (and on both sides of the front), even if it is only a secret from a few people (Russian armed forces) in the main communications directorate,” he wrote. The Telegram channel “Ribarj” is close to the Russian army.

Pavel Durov, the founder of the messaging service “Telegram” who was detained in France, was offered to hand over control of the Russian-language section of “Telegram” to the Kremlin, so he went to France because France would not give it to him, admitted Kirill Martynov, editor-in-chief of the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

“My hypothesis is this: Durov was offered to hand over control of the Russian-language section of Telegram to the Kremlin, and then he flew to a country where he would not be extradited to Russia,” Martynov wrote on the messaging platform “X”.

On the other hand, he recalled in the Novaya Gazeta magazine on its website the events that took place in Russia before Durov’s arrest in France.

The State Duma passed a law banning the use of smartphones in the war in Ukraine (involving Russian soldiers). Z-war journalists are outraged – for two and a half years, the main means of communication for the Russian army was “Telegram”. Military personnel not only read the news, but also exchanged information. According to Martynov’s publication, after Durov’s arrest, one of the Z-channels wrote that this was akin to “arresting the chief of communications of the army”.

“In addition, a law was passed requiring bloggers with an audience of more than 10,000 people to register with (Russian Federal Service for Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media) Roskomnadzor. The law also prohibits citing unregistered and unregistered bloggers. It is obvious that foreign agents and bad organizations will not register anywhere, so the first to be hit are Z-war journalists who report on the progress of the war to a wide audience. “During the war, the information they provided often differed from the official propaganda version,” the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta said.

He noted that Russian authorities may have tested the possibility of blocking Telegram several times in recent weeks, making it impossible for many users in Russia to access the platform unless they use a virtual private network (VPN).

Martynov reminded that a week ago, the Ministry of Justice announced that two large and loyal Telegram channels – “Nezigarj” and “BRIEF” – had been declared foreign agents, then some “BRIEF” projects were shut down, but “Nezigarj” was renamed several times in the vain hope that this stunt would shield it from scrutiny. Moreover, these events coincided with the beginning of Russia’s blocking of YouTube – this Google platform, together with Telegram, remains the main source of uncensored information for Russian citizens.

“The pressure on Telegram looks like the Russian dictatorship’s desire to solve the problem of providing uncensored information to Russian citizens,” the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta said.

He also noted that Durov came to France from Baku, which the Russian dictator had just visited. Vladimir PutinAccording to unconfirmed reports, Durov hoped to hold talks with Putin, but they did not take place. Durov, who also holds French citizenship, then flew to Paris. Durov may have known that he might be detained, but as a French citizen he could not be extradited to Russia.

“The flight to France, the only country in the EU prepared to detain Durov, could be seen as an accident (e.g. a forced landing of the plane), the result of Durov’s incompetence, or an attempt by the group’s founder. Unlike France, the United Arab Emirates, where Durov’s company is based, could initiate the process of extraditing Durov to Russia in order to protect itself from the lack of Baku negotiations.”

He also stressed that Durov’s representatives did not seek help from the Russian consulate, despite constant attempts by the Russian diplomatic service to provide such help. Moreover, in Russia, within a few hours, a large campaign “in support of Durov” was launched, the main slogan of which was Durov’s “return to the motherland”. The singer “Shaman”, a member of the State Duma and law enforcement officer Tatjana Moskakova, who are close to the government, have joined the campaign.

“The possibility that Durov could be collaborating with Russian authorities has been widely discussed in recent years, but even if these rumors have a basis, under the current Russian system one can never be sufficiently loyal. The murderer Krasikov is at large, and the traitors abroad” to Dmitry Medvedev should tremble and hide,” Martynov wrote.

“While public attention is focused on the flagrant violations of freedom of expression in France, the real reason for citizen Durov’s return to his new homeland should probably be sought in the growing interest on the part of his historical motherland,” said the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta.

“The main drama here has to do with how the institutions of the open world are degenerating before our eyes — the internet that promised globality and freedom has long been divided into spheres of influence between world powers. But this ancient technological utopia cannot guarantee physical security,” Martynov wrote.

“Legal practices governing digital platforms are increasingly diverging from region to region. TikTok, like Telegram, is viewed with suspicion in Western countries. The ambitious VK has become a common propaganda tool in the hands of the Kremlin. Google does not operate in China and risks being blocked in Russia. The EU does not have its own “BigTech” and is imposing more and more restrictions on the activities of American companies. Today, “Telegram” is the main channel for communication with American companies. It is believed that these connections have become very fragile as Ja Durov is not only detained in France but also prosecuted in Russia,” the editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta concluded.

Durov was reportedly detained on Saturday when he arrived at Paris’ Le Bourget airport on a private plane from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku.

Durov was detained by the Air Force Gendarmerie because he was on France’s wanted list.

TF1 reported that Durov could face charges in France because, as the creator and administrator of Telegram, he failed to take any action to prevent the platform from being used to commit crimes such as terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering, the sale of stolen goods, and the sexual exploitation of children. BFMTV sources said French law enforcement authorities believe Durov is an accomplice to these crimes because he refused to moderate content on the platform.

A court hearing is scheduled for Sunday and Durov is expected to be remanded in custody.

The TV channel reported that the arrest warrant for Durov is valid only in France.

Durov has not lived in Russia since 2014. In 2021, he was reported to have acquired French citizenship. He spends most of his time in the United Arab Emirates, where he holds citizenship. Durov also holds citizenship of Saint Kitts and Nevis.