On September 4, 2025, a new messenger called Molniya, developed by Red Soft and Passion Tech, will be launched in Russia. The service offers end-to-end encryption, payment tools, and support for cross-border trade. Currently, the application is not available on Google Play, Apple App Store, and RuStore, but its release is planned in VK Store and RuStore.
According to the developers, Molniya uses encryption according to GOST-2021, and user data is stored on servers in Novosibirsk and Moscow. The service has built-in payment systems, including transfers via SBP, and for business accounts — WeChat Pay and Alipay with zero commission. The messenger also supports electronic signatures that comply with Russian and Chinese standards, and an emergency notification function.
Preliminary registration requests have been submitted by more than 500,000 people. The developers plan to attract 15 million users in a year and a half. The main competitor of Molniya remains the Max messenger, which will be pre-installed on new smartphones in Russia.
Max has faced criticism since its launch. Its rating on Google Play did not exceed 1 out of 5 for a long time, and by August 2025 it had risen to only 3.6.
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