Ukraine has prohibited government and military officials from using the Telegram messaging app on state-issued devices due to concerns over Russian surveillance.
This decision was announced by the National Security and Defence Council after Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency, presented evidence of Russian special services’ capability to monitor the platform.
The council emphasized that the ban is a “matter of national security.” Telegram, widely used in both Ukraine and Russia, has become a vital source of information since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
High-profile figures, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, military commanders, and local officials, regularly use Telegram to update the public on the war and share important decisions. However, officials who use Telegram for official duties will not be affected by the new restrictions.
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Founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov, who relocated to Dubai, Telegram has faced scrutiny as Durov previously refused to comply with Russian government demands. He was arrested in France last month for publishing illegal content on the platform.
Budanov stated that while he supports freedom of speech, the issue surrounding Telegram is fundamentally about national security. In response to the ban, Telegram asserted that it has never shared user data or message content with any government, including Russia, and that deleted messages are permanently removed. The platform explained that instances of “leaked messages” were due to compromised devices rather than breaches in their security.
According to the Telemetrio database, approximately 33,000 Telegram channels are active in Ukraine, and estimates suggest that around 75 percent of Ukrainians use the app for communication, with 72 percent considering it a key information source by the end of last year.
