Ukraine has banned use of the Telegram messaging app on official devices used by state officials, military personnel and critical workers because it believes its enemy Russia can spy on both messages and users.

In a statement, the National Security and Defence Council announced the restrictions after Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, presented the Council with evidence of Russian special services’ ability to snoop on the platform.

According to the statement, Budanov said that Russian intelligence services are able to access the personal messages of app users, including deleted messages, as well as their personal data.

“I have always advocated for freedom of speech, but the issue of Telegram is not about freedom of speech, it is a matter of national security,” said Budanov during the meeting.

“The National Cybersecurity Coordination Center (NCCC) has decided to restrict the use of Telegram in government bodies, military formations, and critical infrastructure facilities,” the statement read.

Representatives of the Defense Forces who participated in the meeting noted that Telegram is actively used by the Russian enemy for cyberattacks, phishing, spreading malware, determining users’ geolocation, and adjusting missile strikes.

“To minimize these threats, a decision was made to prohibit the installation and use of Telegram on work devices of government employees, military personnel, security, and defense sector workers, as well as employees of critical infrastructure operators,” participants added.

The only exceptions will be for individuals whose job responsibilities include using this messenger.

Andriy Kovalenko, Head of the security council’s centre on countering disinformation, posted on Telegram that the restrictions apply only to official devices, not personal phones.

Telegram is heavily used in both Ukraine and Russia and has become a critical source of information since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

It is also the primary way Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, engage with the public and relay war developments.

Ukrainian security officials had repeatedly voiced concerns about its use during the war.

In August, it was reported that options for blocking Telegram were being considered in Ukraine. However, radical methods of banning the messenger were not mentioned at that time.

A new wave of discussion about a possible Telegram ban began after Pavel Durov, the company’s founder, was detained in France.

It is worth noting that in early September, the Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, stated that Telegram threatens Ukraine’s national security.

Residents In Kyiv Advised To Stay Indoors

Separately, authorities in Ukraine advised residents in the capital Kyiv to stay indoors as air pollution, partly caused by fires in the region, blanketed the city.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources said that the pollution was a result of the burning of peatlands and other wildfires in the region combined with autumn temperature fluctuations.

The capital woke up to thick smog with the rancid smell of blazing fires in the air. Some people were spotted wearing masks.

The Ukrainian capital topped a list of the most polluted major cities early Friday in a real-time database by IQAir, a Swiss company that monitors air quality levels.

Its air quality appeared to have improved somewhat since as the city came down in the ranking later in the day.

Kyiv’s Department of Environmental Protection and Climate Change noted that “the likely cause of this is fires in the Kyiv region.”

Fires have been reported in the Vyshhorod district, about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) north of the capital.

Officials warned about an increased concentration of suspended particles, such as dust, soot, and smoke, in the air. In some areas of the city, air pollution levels have reached the maximum of the 100-point scale.