The Russian authorities at the federal level made the decision to "forcefully" block the messaging platform Telegram in the territories of Dagestan and Chechnya. The official reason provided was the alleged use of the platform by "unfriendly countries" for destructive purposes.
In reality, the main goal of blocking the platform is Moscow's attempt to counter the rapid Islamization of the region, which will inevitably lead to a social explosion in the Caucasus in the near future.
The blocking of the messenger occurred gradually: at the beginning of 2024, disruptions in Telegram's operation were recorded in the North Caucasus region, explained by exercises conducted by Roskomnadzor; by December 2024, access to Telegram in Dagestan, Ingushetia, Chechnya, and Stavropol Krai could only be achieved through VPN.
Although State Duma deputies assure that there are no immediate plans to block Telegram across all of Russia, the Russian authorities view the technological capability to block the messenger as a "positive aspect" in ensuring the information security of the Russian Federation.
The platform’s blocking is part of the broader strategy of the Russian government to restrict access to potentially dangerous or uncontrollable sources of information for the regime. Additionally, this reflects the Kremlin's intention to secure control over communications in the context of the unstable situation in the Caucasus amid the Islamization of the region.
