The Ukrainian government has reasons to believe that Russia, which it is at war with, may have access to personal data as well as communication on Telegram. The app is widely used in the country as on

In announcing the ban, Ukraine says it's uncovered evidence that Russian agents can access private user messages on Telegram, including deleted correspondence.

Ukraine has banned government officials, military personnel and other defense and critical infrastructure workers from installing the popular Telegram messaging app on state-issued devices

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

Citing national security issues, Ukrainian officials on Friday said the country's government agencies, military and critical infrastructure will be restricted from using the Telegram social media app.

"I have always advocated freedom of speech, but the issue of Telegram is not a matter of freedom of speech, it is a matter of national security," Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov,

Government officials, military personnel and critical infrastructure workers will not be allowed to use the popular messaging app, but Ukrainians remain free to use it in their personal devices. View

Ukraine has banned military personnel, high-ranking state officials, and employees of defence companies and key infrastructure facilities from installing or using the messaging service Telegram on official devices.