Beyond the block: How adaptable Russian FIMI and Telegram’s gaps evade EU sanctions

This report examines how Russian state-affiliated information manipulation and interference (FIMI) persists in the EU by migrating to and exploiting Telegram: actors use duplicate/replica channels, embassy and diplomatic accounts, Telegra.ph pages, forwarded messages, and calls to migrate audiences to alternative apps (e.g., Max) to evade sanctions. It highlights Telegram’s selective/inconsistent blocking and regulatory classification gaps under the EU Digital Services Act as enablers of sustained propaganda dissemination, and recommends coordinated monitoring, stronger platform accountability, and media literacy to reduce influence.