Russia has "attempted to fully block" WhatsApp in the country, the company said, as the Kremlin continues to tighten restrictions on messaging apps.

Meta-owned WhatsApp said the move aims to push more than 100 million of its app users in Russia to a "state-owned surveillance app".

This comes after Russian regulators further curbed access to Telegram, citing a lack of security. Telegram is estimated to have as many users as WhatsApp in Russia.

The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC.

"Trying to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication is a backwards step and can only lead to less safety for people in Russia," said WhatsApp in a statement.

"We continue to do everything we can to keep users connected."

Russia's communications regulator, the Roskomnadzor, has made repeated warnings to WhatsApp to comply with local law.

State-owned Tass Media reported earlier this year that WhatsApp is expected to be permanently blocked in the country in 2026.

"Such harsh measures" are "absolutely justified" since Russia has designated Meta as an extremist organisation, Andrei Svintsov, a Russian official, was quoted as saying.

Since that designation in 2022, Meta apps like Instagram and Facebook have been blocked in Russia and are only accessible through virtual private networks.

The app has been likened to China's WeChat - a so-called "super app" that combines messaging and government services, but without encryption.

Russia has argued that both WhatsApp and Telegram have refused to store Russian users' data in the country as required by law.

Since 2025, the authorities have mandated that the Max app be pre-installed on all new devices sold in the country. Public sector employees, teachers and students have been required to use the platform.

Telegram's chief executive, Russian-born businessman Pavel Durov, said the state is restricting access to its service in an attempt to force its people to use its own app for surveillance and political censorship.

Iran has tried a similar strategy to ban Telegram and push its people to a state-run alternative, but citizens have found ways to work around this, he wrote online.

"Restricting citizens' freedom is never the right answer," said Durov.