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The Russian Ministry of Defense has officially issued an order effectively prohibiting its military personnel from using the popular messenger Telegram. American analysts from the Institute for the Study of War believe this will have genuinely negative consequences for the Russian army.
Key takeaways:
- The messenger ban is part of the Kremlin’s campaign to censor the internet.
- Official Moscow has chosen to disregard the risks and challenges for the Russian army.
Russian Military Operations Are Once Again in Question
The Russian invaders on the Ukrainian front had barely recovered from the unexpected Starlink blockade when a new blow arrived—this time from the Kremlin.
Soon, Russian soldiers will completely lose access to Telegram, which will significantly complicate the execution of their military operations.
According to American analysts, Putin’s decision will exacerbate existing communication problems that the Russian Armed Forces have faced since the Starlink blockade.
Moreover, it could substantially worsen the army’s command and control processes.
The ISW team points out that Telegram blocking has already commenced within the aggressor country.
Based on the latest data, 6,000 complaints from Russians regarding the messenger’s performance were recorded on March 14, and this number doubled the following day.
The Kremlin’s primary objective at this moment is to intensify censorship concerning the war against Ukraine.
This potentially reflects a decrease in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s confidence in the stability of his regime. Putin will likely continue these measures in the future as he faces increasingly difficult and unpopular compromises to sustain his war efforts in Ukraine.
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