Ukraine has taken a significant step to protect national security by banning the use of the Telegram messaging app on state-issued devices for government and military officials. This decision follows growing concerns over Russian surveillance capabilities. The National Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity (NCCC) has announced restrictions on the app’s use across government agencies, military formations, and critical infrastructure facilities, according to Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.

At a recent NCCC meeting, Ukraine's Chief of Defence Intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, presented evidence showing that Russian special services can access personal data and even deleted messages of Telegram users. He emphasized that this is not an issue of free speech, but rather one of national security. Representatives from Ukraine's Security Service and the Armed Forces underscored the risks posed by Telegram, including its use for cyberattacks, phishing, malware distribution, and tracking user geolocation, which has been linked to adjusting missile strikes.

To mitigate these threats, the decision was made to prohibit the installation and use of Telegram on official devices belonging to government and military personnel, as well as workers in the security and defense sectors. The ban will not affect officials using the app for their job duties. Additionally, the NCCC discussed measures to strengthen Ukraine’s cybersecurity sector, including promoting gender equality in the field and implementing the CyberTracker platform to enhance strategic planning and cyber resilience. Telegram was founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov and is based in Dubai.