I have always assumed that Telegram was a Russian op. Any doubts I had were resolved by this event. [0]
> Deputy Russian State Duma Speaker Vladislav Davankov said he had sent an appeal to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to seek Durov's release.
> "His arrest may be politically motivated and a tool to gain access to the personal information of Telegram users. This must not be allowed," the state-run RIA Novosti news agency quoted Davankov as saying.
[0] https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/08/25/telegram-boss-pave...