Why the Kremlin is Killing its Own Military’s Main App

In wartime chaos, Russia turns on Telegram, forcing troops onto “MAX”—a state-built app experts warn could become a dangerous digital trap.

In the chaos of war, information is as vital as ammunition. But now, the Kremlin has opened a new front—not in the trenches, but against the very tool its soldiers rely on most: Telegram.

In this investigative report for the Kyiv Post, we analyze the systematic crackdown on Telegram across Russia and the forced transition to “MAX”—a government-developed app that many experts call a “digital trap.”