diff --git a/.github/actions/prepare-telegram-release-message/action.yml b/.github/actions/prepare-telegram-release-message/action.yml
index 0a589a2..87eb3e3 100644
--- a/.github/actions/prepare-telegram-release-message/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/prepare-telegram-release-message/action.yml
@@ -14,5 +14,6 @@ runs:
         TAG_NAME: ${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}
         RELEASE_NAME: ${{ github.event.release.name }}
         RELEASE_URL: ${{ github.event.release.html_url }}
+        RELEASE_BODY: ${{ github.event.release.body }}
         ACTOR: ${{ github.event.release.author.login }}
       run: python3 "${{ github.action_path }}/prepare.py"
diff --git a/.github/actions/prepare-telegram-release-message/prepare.py b/.github/actions/prepare-telegram-release-message/prepare.py
index faca63a..8f8be65 100644
--- a/.github/actions/prepare-telegram-release-message/prepare.py
+++ b/.github/actions/prepare-telegram-release-message/prepare.py
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 import os
+import re
 import uuid
 
+RELEASE_DESCRIPTION_LIMIT = 3500
 MARKDOWN_V2_SPECIAL_CHARACTERS = frozenset("_*[]()~`>#+-=|{}.!\\")
+MARKDOWN_LINK = re.compile(r"\[([^]]+)]\([^)]*\)")
 
 
 def escape_markdown(value):
@@ -13,6 +16,24 @@ def escape_link_url(value):
     return str(value).replace("\\", "\\\\").replace(")", "\\)")
 
 
+def truncate(value, limit):
+    if len(value) <= limit:
+        return value
+    return value[: limit - 3].rstrip() + "..."
+
+
+def release_description(value, limit=RELEASE_DESCRIPTION_LIMIT):
+    lines = []
+    for source_line in value.strip().splitlines():
+        line = re.sub(r"^#{1,6}\s+", "", source_line.strip())
+        line = re.sub(r"^(?:[-+*]|\d+\.)\s+", "", line)
+        line = MARKDOWN_LINK.sub(r"\1", line)
+        if line or (lines and lines[-1]):
+            lines.append(line)
+
+    return truncate("\n".join(lines).strip(), limit)
+
+
 def format_published(repository, release):
     tag = release["tag"]
     label = escape_markdown(f"release {tag}")
@@ -24,7 +45,10 @@ def format_published(repository, release):
         parts.append(f"*{escape_markdown(name)}*")
 
     parts.append(escape_markdown(release.get("actor") or "ghost"))
-    return " · ".join(parts)
+    message = " · ".join(parts)
+    if description := release_description(release.get("body") or ""):
+        message += f"\n{escape_markdown(description)}"
+    return message
 
 
 def write_output(message):
@@ -40,6 +64,7 @@ def main():
         "tag": os.environ["TAG_NAME"],
         "name": os.environ.get("RELEASE_NAME") or "",
         "url": os.environ["RELEASE_URL"],
+        "body": os.environ.get("RELEASE_BODY") or "",
         "actor": os.environ.get("ACTOR") or "ghost",
     }
     write_output(format_published(os.environ["REPOSITORY"], release))
diff --git a/test/test_telegram_notifications.py b/test/test_telegram_notifications.py
index 5c8dade..9d7cdbb 100644
--- a/test/test_telegram_notifications.py
+++ b/test/test_telegram_notifications.py
@@ -220,6 +220,38 @@ def test_formats_distinct_release_name_and_escapes_markdown(self):
         self.assertIn(r"*Summer \[release\]*", message)
         self.assertTrue(message.endswith(r"dependabot\[bot\]"))
 
+    def test_includes_release_please_description_as_plain_text(self):
+        release = {
+            "tag": "v0.16.0",
+            "name": "v0.16.0",
+            "url": "https://github.com/owner/repo/releases/tag/v0.16.0",
+            "body": (
+                "## [0.16.0](https://github.com/owner/repo/compare/v0.15.0...v0.16.0) (2026-08-24)\n\n"
+                "### Features\n\n"
+                "* add Telegram release notifications "
+                "([#171](https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/171)) "
+                "([8d9e8c0](https://github.com/owner/repo/commit/8d9e8c0))"
+            ),
+            "actor": "octocat",
+        }
+
+        message = RELEASE_TELEGRAM.format_published("owner/repo", release)
+
+        self.assertTrue(
+            message.endswith(
+                "octocat\n0\\.16\\.0 \\(2026\\-08\\-24\\)\n\n"
+                "Features\n\nadd Telegram release notifications \\(\\#171\\) \\(8d9e8c0\\)"
+            )
+        )
+
+    def test_truncates_long_release_description(self):
+        description = RELEASE_TELEGRAM.release_description(
+            "x" * (RELEASE_TELEGRAM.RELEASE_DESCRIPTION_LIMIT + 10)
+        )
+
+        self.assertEqual(len(description), RELEASE_TELEGRAM.RELEASE_DESCRIPTION_LIMIT)
+        self.assertTrue(description.endswith("..."))
+
 
 class TelegramWorkflowTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def load_workflow(self, name):