“Delete everything”. The arrest of Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, causes a chain reaction which risks affecting Russia at an institutional and military level. Durov was arrested in Paris, where he landed on Saturday evening. The French judiciary is accusing him of the lack of moderation on the social network which, with its encrypted conversations, becomes a favorable environment for illicit activities, from money laundering to drug trafficking. In Russia, as highlighted by the Baza channel, Telegram has become over the years a fundamental tool for communication at every level. The topic is also addressed in the single-topic talk shows that on TV, every day, focus on the war between Russia and Ukraine: Telegram is a vital communication channel also at a military level.
Vladimir Solovyov, the face and voice of Russia 1, raises the alarm: “It’s all about encrypted conversations. I just have one question. Is there anyone who doesn’t know that our entire military relies on Telegram? And that all members of our government use Telegram? WhatsApp is American, Telegram is relatively free.” Recently, again on TV, it was military blogger Kirill Fyodorov who explained the importance of Telegram for military operations: “We used Telegram before launching Iskander missiles. Our artillery uses Telegram for targets. The air force does the same.”
The fear not openly confessed is that Durov will hand over the ‘keys’ to Telegram to the French investigators. Now, the whole castle risks collapsing or, at least, being lit up brightly if Durov where. For this reason, according to Baza, in Moscow and its surroundings the order has already been sent to officials of the presidential administration, the government and agencies that deal with security: “Delete the conversations”, would be the input also delivered to environments of the Ministry of Defense and to prominent businessmen. Those who have not yet received the formal order, says Baza, expect a clear indication in the next few hours.