Users are reporting that the apps occasionally open, but messages do not load.
Mikhail Klimarev, head of the "Internet Protection Society," noted that WhatsApp has effectively become unavailable in a number of regions in Russia. He emphasized that in other countries, the messaging apps are functioning without interruptions, indicating a local nature of the problems.
Klimarev also added that "the process of fully blocking Telegram and WhatsApp in Russia has already begun," and a complete restriction may occur by the beginning of 2026. He compared the current events to the situation surrounding YouTube, which began to be restricted in mid-2024, and by the end of that year, it was completely blocked. Currently, access to the video hosting service is only possible through VPN.
If the specialists' forecasts come true, Russians will soon have to look for alternative solutions for communication and bypassing restrictions. More and more users are installing VPN services and switching to other platforms for communication.
