Kremlin faces backlash as Telegram restrictions drive drop in Putin approval

Public trust in Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has fallen by five percentage points—from 76% to 71% since March 22—marking the sharpest drop since 2019, according to polling data from the Public Opinion Foundation.

Weekly surveys show a steady decline in Putin’s approval rating since Feb. 8, 2026, which analysts link to restrictions on the messaging platform Telegram introduced on Feb. 9–10.

Several pro-Kremlin bloggers and nationalist commentators have increasingly voiced frustration over attempts to block Telegram, criticizing authorities for spending resources on censorship while leaving Russian troops without reliable communication systems on the battlefield, Russian investigative outlet Important Stories reported on April 3.

Russian officials have struggled to respond to the growing criticism, particularly from ultranationalist military bloggers, analysts said. Conflicting statements about Telegram policy in recent weeks suggest the Kremlin lacks a coherent censorship strategy and underestimated the scale of public backlash.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov said on April 3 that about 65 million Russians continue to use virtual private networks daily to access the platform. He added that the government’s actions caused widespread disruptions to payment and transfer services at several Russian banks the same day.

Telegram services were nearly completely disrupted across Russia on March 16, with both the mobile app and web version going offline, according to outage monitoring service Downdetector.

Russia’s communications regulator has said Telegram does not comply with national legislation and will face ongoing restrictions.

Connectivity issues with Telegram began as early as February, triggering concern among pro-Kremlin channels, as Russian forces reportedly struggled to maintain communication at the front.

Durov said the authorities are attempting to force users onto a state-controlled messaging platform designed for surveillance and political censorship, referring to a so-called national messenger fully controlled by Russian security services.