Pavel Durov announces that the attempts to block VPNs have caused major technical issues in the payment system in Russia.

The founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, announced that the attempt by Russian authorities to block private virtual networks (VPNs) has led to a technical failure in the payment system in Russia, affecting millions of users.

The problem, which arose on Friday, created difficulties for shoppers and public services, causing the Moscow metro to allow free access and a zoo to request cash payments. Durov stated on Telegram that the entire nation is mobilized to circumvent the restrictions imposed by the authorities.

Sberbank, the largest bank in Russia, confirmed the existence of a technical issue but did not provide details about the causes.

While Russian authorities justify the restrictions as necessary for security, Durov emphasized that tens of millions of Russians are trying to avoid digital controls.

The Telegram app, widely used in Russia and Ukraine, has been slowed down by the authorities, and Durov is facing a criminal investigation related to terrorism charges. The company rejects the accusations and claims that Moscow is trying to push users to switch to the state-supported messaging app, MAX.