Ukraine has banned the use of the Telegram messaging app on official devices used by government officials, military personnel, and critical workers, citing concerns that Russia could spy on both messages and users, according to a statement by the National Security and Defence Council on Friday.
The restrictions were announced after Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency, presented evidence to the council of Russian special services’ ability to intercept communications on the platform.
However, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Security Council’s Centre on Countering Disinformation, clarified that the ban applies only to official devices, not personal phones.
Telegram, widely used in both Ukraine and Russia, has become a vital source of information since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Despite its popularity, Ukrainian security officials have repeatedly raised concerns about the platform’s security during the ongoing conflict.
Telegram, founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov and based in Dubai, has faced scrutiny since Durov’s refusal to shut down opposition communities on his previous social media platform, VKontakte, in 2014. Durov was arrested in France in August as part of an investigation into crimes linked to Telegram, including child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud.
The Security Council’s statement claimed that Russian special services could access Telegram messages, including deleted ones, as well as users’ personal data. Budanov stressed that the issue was one of national security, not freedom of speech.
In response, Telegram issued a statement asserting that it has never disclosed any user data or message contents.
