Russia's ban on Telegram is crippling its military operations in Ukraine, according to reports. The Kremlin's crackdown on the encrypted messaging app, aimed at pushing users towards its own state-controlled Max app, has disrupted frontline communications. Soldiers and pro-war bloggers reportedly criticized the move, highlighting Telegram's critical role for battlefield coordination.

Senior European diplomats tell Bloomberg the double blow of Telegram's unavailability and SpaceX blocking Russia's access to Starlink terminals is significantly impacting Russian command and control. Starlink's satellite coverage is vital for coordinating drone strikes, which have reportedly decreased, giving Ukrainian forces an advantage. A Ukrainian drone operator, Giovanni, told the BBC the Russian army has lost 'their ability to control the field', estimating a 50% loss in offensive capacity.