What's happened
On September 20, 2024, Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council announced a ban on the Telegram messaging app for official devices, citing national security concerns over Russian surveillance capabilities. The ban affects government officials and military personnel but allows personal use of the app. Telegram denies any data breaches.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Al Jazeera, the ban was deemed necessary after Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's GUR military intelligence, presented evidence of Russian capabilities to access Telegram messages. The Guardian noted that the restrictions apply only to official devices, allowing personal use, which raises questions about the effectiveness of the ban. The Independent highlighted that Telegram is crucial for public communication, especially for updates on military actions, indicating potential challenges in maintaining effective communication channels.
How we got here
The decision follows ongoing concerns about Russian intelligence operations, particularly since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Telegram has been a vital communication tool for both sides during the conflict.
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Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy is a Ukrainian politician, actor and comedian who is the 6th and current president of Ukraine, serving since May 2019.
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Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
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Telegram is a cloud-based instant messaging, videotelephony and voice over IP service. Telegram client apps are available for Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows, macOS and GNU/Linux and originated in Russia.
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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Kyrylo Oleksiyovych Budanov (Ukrainian: Кирило Олексійович Буданов; 4 January 1986) is Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and Major General.