Russia Blocks Telegram Then Uses It for Emergency Alerts
Today, mobile internet access was restricted again in Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad Region because of a reported drone attack threat.
The official warning was published on the Telegram channel of the governor of the Leningrad Region. The all-clear announcement was later posted there as well.
The problem is that Telegram is regularly slowed down and restricted in Russia. For many people, it works poorly—or does not work at all—without a VPN. During drone threats, mobile internet access may also be disabled entirely.
This creates a strange system:
- the authorities describe Telegram as unsafe or even as a "hostile" messenger;
- the government restricts access to it;
- mobile internet is shut down for security reasons;
- not everyone receives an emergency SMS—I did not receive one;
- and important safety information is still published primarily on Telegram.
Today, my mobile internet connection was restored only at around 11 a.m., even though the all-clear had been announced several hours earlier.
I asked the governor a simple question: why is emergency information being published on a service that the authorities themselves are restricting?
After that, I was blocked.
I did not send threats, insults, or spam. I asked a question about an emergency warning system that may directly affect people's safety.
That is the main issue.
This is not about whether someone likes or dislikes Telegram. During a real emergency, people should receive warnings through a reliable and accessible channel: SMS, cell broadcast alerts, sirens, or an official government application that continues to work when internet access is restricted.
Emergency information should not depend on having a VPN, subscribing to the governor's Telegram channel, or knowing where a particular official has decided to publish an announcement.
A government may choose to block messaging platforms. But if it does, it must provide a warning system that works better.
Instead, the opposite is happening: communication is disabled, emergency warnings are published on a restricted platform, and people who point out this contradiction are blocked on that same platform.