The Ukrainian government has banned the use of the Telegram messaging app on state and military mobile phones in a bid to prevent Russian spying.
Telegram, an online messaging service similar to WhatsApp, has been a key tool for sharing information about the war in Ukraine, but Kyiv’s intelligence services fear it is also vulnerable to Russian cyber attacks.
The Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council (RNBO) said it took the decision to ban Telegram to “minimise” those threats, such as Russia being able to intercept messages even after they have been deleted.
Ukraine’s ban only applies to official mobiles and other devices issued to government and military staff, with the use of Telegram on their personal phones still permitted.
“Telegram is actively used by the enemy for cyber-attacks, the distribution of phishing and malicious software, user geolocation and missile strike correction,” the RNBO said in a statement.
It said the ban of Telegram on official government devices was decided after a presentation by Kyrylo Budanov, the military intelligence chief of Ukraine, who showed how Russia could be able to hack the system.
“I have always supported and continue to support freedom of speech, but the issue of Telegram is not a matter of freedom of speech, it is a matter of national security,” Mr Budanov reportedly said of the ban.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Telegram quickly became a major source of live updates on the war for the public.
Telegram is said to be the most popular messaging site in Ukraine, used by 72 per cent of the population according to one recent survey.
The app was founded by Russian-born tech entrepreneur Pavel Durov and his brother in 2013.
Mr Durov fled Russia after refusing to shut down critics of the authorities and headed to France, where he has citizenship. But he was then arrested last month as part of an investigation into organised crime.
According to Mr Durov, Telegram has around 900 million active users worldwide.
It came as Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said he had not yet received approval from the US or UK to use long-range missiles inside Russia.
“Neither America nor the United Kingdom gave us permission to use these weapons on the territory of Russia, on any targets at any distance,” he said on Friday, adding that both countries feared an “escalation” of hostilities.
“We did not use long-range weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation.”
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