Russian Military Sabotages Orders En Masse

• 16.02.2026, 10:06

Details of the new scandal.

Internal resistance to the mandatory switch to the government-controlled messenger "MAX" is being registered in the Russian army units. Servicemen are trying to find ways to circumvent the command's requirement.

The resistance movement "ATESH" reports that.

In a number of units of the 2nd Combined Armed Forces Army in Donetsk Region, discontent with the decision to forcibly install the state-owned messenger MAX has intensified.

According to sources, servicemen were obliged to switch to the new platform and refuse to use other communication services by February 18.

This order has caused open irritation among both the rank and file and some officers.

The military considers "MAX" to be software under the full control of intelligence services and fears the possible consequences of its use.

With the recent communication outages and Starlink outages, additional difficulties with management and coordination have arisen in the units. This has reportedly led to personnel losses and the loss of previously held positions, particularly in the Gulyaypol direction.

In private conversations, servicemen report that they purchase separate phones for formal installation of MAX, while continuing to use other messengers for basic communication.

Some commanders unofficially turn a blind eye to this. The military fears that the use of the state messenger could lead to disciplinary or criminal consequences, since, in their opinion, conducting combat operations in strict compliance with the current regulations is impossible in practice.