Konstantin Malofeev, an oligarch widely regarded as a major financier of Russian propaganda in Europe, has publicly criticized the Moscow authorities over what he deems the failure of the new messaging application “Max,” which has been heavily promoted by the Kremlin, according to reports from Meduza.
In an article published on his TV network Tsargrad TV, Malofeev announced that he would cease managing his channel on Max Messenger and condemned the blockade of Telegram, a messaging app created by the Russian billionaire Pavel Durov, who resides in the West.
Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, Russian authorities have blocked access to most Western social media networks and messaging apps. However, WhatsApp and Telegram remained operational until late summer of last year when the Russian government began restricting access to them.
The subsequent blockade of Telegram, in particular, sparked a wave of dissatisfaction within Russia, where the app enjoys immense popularity. Russian officials have alleged that these messaging services are used to coordinate illegal activities within the country, including acts of sabotage by Ukrainian operatives. They have even claimed that Telegram has been compromised by Ukrainian security services.
As an alternative, Russian authorities launched a messaging application named “Max,” which has become mandatory to pre-install on all mobile devices sold in Russia starting September 1, 2025.
However, the actual adoption of this new app by Russians has been slow, fueled by concerns that messages sent through it are not secure and that discussions are monitored by security services.
Malofeev States “Something Went Wrong”
In his article titled “Let’s Activate Telegram” on the Tsargrad website, Malofeev argued that Durov’s messaging app was shut down “for security reasons,” but claimed that “something went wrong.”
He also asserted that “sabotage and terror have not decreased” since the Telegram blockade and that security has not been ensured within Russia. “Complete safety arrived on June 18,” he wrote, referencing the largest drone attack launched by Ukraine against the Moscow region.
“So where was the great salvation from disabling Telegram? How many drones turned back horrified after discovering that Russians had trouble loading messages?” he penned.
Malofeev further criticized the Max messaging app, claiming it does not allow users to receive push notifications for air raid alerts. He emphasized that Telegram is superior in nearly every regard.
“There is no complete commenting functionality. There are no stable stories for channel creators. There is no standalone broadcasting feature. There are no transparent statistics. No clear analytics or monetization. There are regular crashes, unstable notifications, and difficulties in sending and receiving messages. There are more or less reasonable suspicions of spyware,” he continued.
Who is Konstantin Malofeev?
At 51 years old, Malofeev is considered one of the main financiers of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. He has been indicted by U.S. authorities for attempting to secretly acquire and manage media institutions across Europe in violation of sanctions against him.
Malofeev is a banker whose business interests include the media group Tsargrad, which supports the Kremlin. Known as the “Orthodox Oligarch” due to his backing of the church led by Patriarch Kirill, Malofeev views Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a “holy war.”
He has funneled his wealth into building a media empire, with his Christian-Orthodox television network Tsargrad becoming a propaganda tool for Vladimir Putin’s regime.
Malofeev reportedly hired former FSB colonel Igor Girkin for security before falling out of favor. He has been among the Russian figures sanctioned by the EU and then the U.S. since 2014, following the illegal annexation of Crimea.
Despite this, he remained a client of the Cyprus-based accounting and offshore services firm MeritServus for three years, whose officials allegedly helped companies linked to Malofeev move funds and obtain loans, including in U.S. dollars.
MeritServus was placed under sanctions by the British government following revelations by The Guardian about its role in transferring funds for former Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich, also targeted by Western sanctions.
