The Ukrainian government says it has banned the Telegram messaging app on official devices used by government officials, military personnel and other defense and critical infrastructure workers. It cited Russian security threats.
Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council made the announcement on Friday.
It indicated the decision was made as Russian intelligence agencies can access personal correspondence of Telegram users, including deleted messages.
The messaging platform, developed by Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai, who were born in Russia, has about 900 million users worldwide, including in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said, “The issue of Telegram is not a matter of freedom of speech, it is a matter of national security.”
Meanwhile, British public broadcaster BBC and Russian independent media outlet Mediazona said on Friday they have identified more than 70,000 Russian soldiers who have died since Moscow’s invasion began in February 2022.
They have been tracking data from open sources, including social media postings by bereaved relatives and local media reports.
They noted that at the beginning of the conflict, the typical dead soldier was a young contract soldier, but now those who die most often are men over 40 without combat experience or special training.