Zelenskyy warns Russia's new app Max won't escape Ukrainian intel
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukraine is conducting intelligence operations via Telegram inside Russia. As Moscow begins restricting the messenger, Kyiv is already preparing to work with a new Russian alternative — Max, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said while answering journalists’ questions.
Ukraine operates via Telegram in Russia
According to Zelenskyy, Russian intelligence services активно use Telegram for operations in Ukraine, and Kyiv monitors and counters this. But there is also a reverse side.
“We are also working via Telegram in Russia,” the president said.
What is Max and why it matters
Max is a new Russian messenger that Moscow is promoting as an alternative to Telegram after imposing restrictions on it.
Zelenskyy said he has already received a report on the network behind the service. “We will also get to Max,” he added.
Putin is building a ‘digital Middle Ages’
Zelenskyy also said that Russia is systematically restricting social networks and mobile communications.
“All of this is for total control. We understand what Putin is building in Russia — or has almost already built,” he said.
In the president’s view, Russia is moving backward — not by decades, but by centuries.
“They could soon switch to paper mail or the telegraph. Maybe Putin likes that. Maybe that’s how he feels young again,” Zelenskyy said.
It should be recalled that Max is a new “national” Russian messenger developed by VK, which the Kremlin is pushing across the country. It is being installed on all smartphones in stores, introduced into school chats, and imposed on residents of occupied territories.
The app lacks end-to-end encryption, collects geolocation, biometric data, and even takes photos from the camera every 5–10 minutes — experts describe it as a surveillance tool for Russia’s security services.
In addition, Russia is massively restricting internet access following the example of China and Iran. The Kremlin officially justifies these actions as a response to an alleged “threat from the West.”
