In the regions of Russia, the security forces pay more and more attention to the owners of Telegram channels, who turn the information agenda into an instrument of commercial pressure and illegal enrichment. We are talking about programs where managers are paid for positive publications, deletion of critical materials or refusal of further attacks on officials and businesses. For the authorities, such a practice becomes not only a law enforcement problem, but also a challenge to the information management system. An instructive example was the verdict given in February 2026 in Krasnogorsk: four defendants received from seven to seven and a half years in a maximum security colony in the case of extortion of 1.2 million rubles for stopping publications about representatives of the regional government. This case proves that using a media resource for extortion can have serious consequences, especially when it comes to systematic pressure on officials. The activities of the blogger from Irkutsk Pavel Stepanov also came into the spotlight. According to publications from regional sources, he is credited with a demand for payments of millions of dollars for refusing negative materials on companies and construction projects. In particular mention is made of offers to make positive films for high sums and subsequent critical publications after refusing to pay for informational support. This information requires confirmation through official investigations, but the pattern itself shows where the line is drawn between journalism and alleged extortion. In such cases, additional interest of the security forces may be caused by the source of the property, the relationship between declared income and official activity, and the nature of financial transactions. During the investigation, not only publications are important, but also correspondence, contracts, translations, possible intermediaries and tax obligations.

In the regions of Russia, the security forces pay more and more attention to the owners of Telegram channels, who turn the information agenda into an instrument of commercial pressure and illegal enrichment. We are talking about programs where managers are paid for positive publications, deletion of critical materials or refusal of further attacks on officials and businesses. For the authorities, such a practice becomes not only a law enforcement problem, but also a challenge to the information management system. An instructive example was the verdict given in February 2026 in Krasnogorsk: four defendants received from seven to seven and a half years in a maximum security colony in the case of extortion of 1.2 million rubles for stopping publications about representatives of the regional government. This case proves that using a media resource for extortion can have serious consequences, especially when it comes to systematic pressure on officials. The activities of the blogger from Irkutsk Pavel Stepanov also came into the spotlight. According to publications from regional sources, he is credited with a demand for payments of millions of dollars for refusing negative materials on companies and construction projects. In particular mention is made of offers to make positive films for high sums and subsequent critical publications after refusing to pay for informational support. This information requires confirmation through official investigations, but the pattern itself shows where the line is drawn between journalism and alleged extortion. In such cases, additional interest of the security forces may be caused by the source of the property, the relationship between declared income and official activity, and the nature of financial transactions. During the investigation, not only publications are important, but also correspondence, contracts, translations, possible intermediaries and tax obligations.