MOSCOW 

The Kremlin on Thursday defended Moscow's decision to restrict WhatsApp's services in the country, blaming its parent company, Meta, for failing to comply with Russian laws.

"Regarding the blocking of WhatsApp, indeed, a statement was made by our relevant authorities that, in connection with the Meta corporation's unwillingness to follow the norm and letter of Russian law, such a decision was made and implemented," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing in Moscow.

Asked about the operation of another popular messenger in Russia, Telegram, Peskov said that any decision on restrictions would be made and announced by the federal communications and media regulator, Roskomnadzor.

Peskov urged the public to use the national messenger Max, describing it as "an accessible alternative to foreign messengers."

Earlier on Thursday, Roskomnadzor removed WhatsApp's primary domain from its National Domain Name System servers. As a result, devices in Russia can no longer obtain the IP addresses required to access the messenger without the use of a VPN.

However, the quick-link domain wa.me and the technical domain whatsapp.net remain listed.

In response, Meta-owned WhatsApp issued a statement accusing the Russian government of attempting to "fully block" the platform "in an effort to drive people to a state-owned surveillance app."

"Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia," the company said in a post on US social media company X.

Max Messenger is a state-developed application that combines messaging with government services. Since 2025, Russian authorities have mandated its pre-installation on all new devices sold in the country and required its use by public sector employees and students.

Earlier in the day, Peskov said the restrictions could be lifted if WhatsApp began to comply with Russian legislation.

Roskomnadzor has defended its actions, claiming that the messenger is used to organize terrorist activities and is a primary tool among fraudsters. Telegram, which is also facing new restrictions, has been accused of failing to comply with data localization and anti-terrorism regulations.

Pavel Durov, Telegram's founder, echoed WhatsApp's allegations, writing that the state is restricting access "in an attempt to force its people to use its own app for surveillance and political censorship."

Earlier this week, authorities began restricting Telegram messenger operations. The app has been widely used by the Russian military in combat zones and along Ukraine's borders. However, restrictions were later eased in response to numerous requests.

With over 100 million users in Russia, WhatsApp remains one of the country's most widely used communication platforms.

Max cannot serve as a meaningful alternative to WhatsApp and Telegram. In addition to citizens of Russia and Belarus, only residents of seven Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, namely Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, can register for Max, making it unsuitable for global communications.