Telegram's unpaid fines in Russia exceeded ₽45.1 million as of October 6, 2026. Over fifteen months, the debt nearly doubled: in July 2025, it stood at ₽23.5 million. New fines are being issued at a faster pace: in the first half of 2026 alone, courts imposed over ₽100 million in fines on Telegram.
| Date | Debt | Enforcement proceedings | Of these, closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 18, 2025 | ₽23.5 million | 12 | 3 |
| February 10, 2026 | ₽29.6 million | 21 | 13 |
| March 18, 2026 | ₽35.9 million | 27 | 18 |
| July 29, 2026 | ₽37.9 million | — | — |
| October 6, 2026 | ₽45.1 million | 29 | 26 |
An imposed fine does not immediately become a debt: first, the court decision takes legal effect, then the company has 60 days to pay. This is why the total sum of issued fines and the total debt differ. Fines are imposed by Roskomnadzor and Moscow courts, almost all under Article 13.41 of Russia's Code of Administrative Offences, which concerns violations of the procedure for restricting access to information. Its second part penalizes the failure to remove prohibited materials, and the fourth part penalizes the failure to remove calls for extremist activity. On February 11, the Tagansky District Court imposed ₽10.8 million in fines for these violations: ₽3.8 million and ₽7 million. On October 6, the day the news about the debt broke, the same court added another ₽3.8 million for three publications.
An unpaid fine is sent to court bailiffs, and an enforcement proceeding is opened for it. Of the ₽45.1 million debt, approximately ₽8 million is being forcibly collected through three out of 29 proceedings. The remaining 26 have been closed under Article 46 of Russia's law on enforcement proceedings: this article allows the writ of execution to be returned to the creditor when the debtor or their property cannot be found. The first three were closed in this manner back in July 2025, for ₽15 million. The return of the writ does not cancel the debt: the fine remains with the company, and the writ can be presented again.
Telegram used to pay. In December 2021, the company transferred ₽15 million in fines, and in January 2022, another ₽11 million, leading bailiffs to close those proceedings due to payment.
