Russia's VPN crackdown triggered nationwide payment system failure: Telegram founder
What's the story
Telegram founder Pavel Duvrov has blamed Russia's attempt to block Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) for a major payment system failure in the country. The disruption led to widespread issues on Friday, with shoppers facing difficulties and even the Moscow metro allowing free entry through its turnstiles. A regional zoo also had to ask visitors to use cash due to the problem.
Digital defiance
Duvrov welcomes back 'Digital Resistance'
In his post on Telegram and X, Duvrov emphasized that despite the ban on Telegram in Russia, over 50 million Russians continue to use it daily via VPNs. He said that these users are part of a larger movement against the digital restrictions imposed by their government. Welcome back to the Digital Resistance, my Russian brothers and sisters. The entire nation is now mobilized to bypass these absurd restrictions.
User statistics
Over 50 million daily users in Russia
Duvrov clarified that over 50 million Russians send at least one message daily on Telegram, with a total of 65 million daily active users in the country despite the ban. He said monthly active users are yet to be determined but could easily be double this number. This shows the scale and resilience of Telegram's user base in Russia amid government restrictions.
Twitter Post
VPN blocking led to a massive banking failure
Telegram was banned in Russia — yet 50M+ Russians still use it daily via VPNs. The government has spent years trying to ban VPNs too. Their blocking attempts just triggered a massive banking failure — cash briefly became the only payment method nationwide.
— Pavel Durov (@durov) April 4, 2026