Telegram's Durov says Russia triggered payment system problem by blocking VPNs

Telegram founder Pavel Durov said on Saturday that Russia's attempt to block Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) triggered a problem with a domestic payment system, adding that tens of millions of Russians were now resisting the digital controls. The issue sowed chaos on Friday for some ​shoppers, forcing the Moscow metro to allow entry without payment through its turnstiles, while a regional ​zoo had to ask visitors to ​use cash. "Their blocking attempts just triggered a massive banking failure," Durov said on Telegram. "Welcome back to the Digital Resistance, my Russian brothers and sisters. The entire nation is now mobilised to bypass these absurd restrictions," he added. Read: UAE, Russia demand access to Telegram CEO Telegram, based in Dubai, was founded by Russian-born Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after he refused to comply with demands to shut down opposition communities on his VK social media platform, which he sold. "We'll probably cross one billion monthly active users within a year now," Durov, who fully owns Telegram, told US journalist Tucker Carlson, according to a video interview posted on Carlson's account on the X social media platform. "Telegram is spreading like forest fire," Durov said. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Russia submitted requests for consular access to Durov, who was arrested in August 2024 in Paris over his alleged refusal to cooperate in the investigation of crimes related to the app. The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said early on Tuesday that it was "closely following" Durov's case and had "submitted a request to the French government to provide him with all consular services urgently." Russia's embassy in Paris had earlier referred a note to the French foreign ministry demanding consular access to Durov, the TASS news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying. Read More: Pavel Durov’s recently written will: Telegram fortune to be divided amongst 100 kids he fathered The Kremlin said in February 2026 that Russia has blocked Meta's WhatsApp messaging service and suggested that people use MAX, a new state-backed platform, instead. US messenger app WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, accused authorities in Russia on Thursday of trying to fully block its service in order to drive Russians to a state-owned app, which it alleged was used for surveillance. Since then, many Russians have been able to use WhatsApp only in conjunction with a virtual private network and have switched to using rival messenger apps, though some of those - like Telegram - are also under pressure from the authorities for the same reasons.