Telegram misogyny: 'They wanted to tie me and my child to a horse'

It began with joy but turned to horror, and all because of the abuse sent from users of one of her homeland's leading apps.

"When I saw a photo of him from the orphanage, he was dressed in such ridiculous clothes," recalls Ekaterina Frolova.

"I knew instantly that this boy should not remain in the system. He would never be understood there."

The hairdresser from the volcano-rich Kamchatka peninsula, in the far east of Russia, had always wanted to adopt. When she finally met the infant, their bond was instantaneous. He raised his hands and nestled into Ekaterina's embrace, as if he'd known her forever.

Then coronavirus struck. Ekaterina wanted to share her happiness, as well as alleviate loneliness, by creating an Instagram profile dedicated to her new son.

But the "cosy page" she filled with baby photos led to her being viciously attacked from groups on the Telegram messaging app.