Protests on March 29—what actually happened
In the winter of 2026, Russian authorities redoubled their efforts to block Telegram and restrict internet access. Citing ongoing drone attacks, “whitelists” were introduced across the country, limiting access to a predefined set of websites and services. In central Moscow, mobile internet was unavailable for three weeks. In several regions, disruptions have lasted for months. In February, the outlet The Bell reported that Telegram could be fully blocked in the country starting April 1.