MOSCOW, February 18. /TASS/. Functioning of the Telegram messenger will not be restricted in the zone of the Special Military Operation, Russian Minister for Digital Development Maksut Shadaev said in the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian legislative assembly.

"The decision was made not to restrict now Telegram functioning in the area of the Special Military Operation," the minister said. "We hope our military will be able to change and shift to Russian services," he noted.

"Telegram is still available, there is slowdown. Slowdown is the law that was also passed in the State Duma, introduced by parliament members," Shadaev said when characterizing the current status of the messenger in Russia.