The National Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity (NCCC) under the National Security and Defence Council has banned government officials and military personnel from using the Telegram messenger. This was reported in the NSDC, reports 
Today’s meeting of the NCCC was dedicated to Telegram and the threats it poses to state security.
Thus, the head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov traditionally cited data on the fact that Russian special services have access to personal correspondence of Telegram users, even deleted messages, as well as their personal data.
“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,” he said,
– he stressed.
Representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also noted that Telegram is actively used by the enemy for cyberattacks, spreading phishing and malware, establishing the geolocation of users, adjusting missile strikes, etc.
Therefore, the NCCC made the decision that has been discussed so much lately – to ban Telegram. However, so far, it is only for civil servants and the military.
“In order to minimise these threats, it was decided to ban the installation and use of Telegram on the official devices of government officials, military personnel, employees of the security and defence sector, as well as enterprises operating critical infrastructure,”
– the statement reads.
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Reaction of state authorities
The Regulation on the National Coordination Centre for Cybersecurity (approved by a presidential decree) states that its decisions are mandatory for consideration by public authorities, but does not say that they are binding.
"10. The decisions of the Centre are binding on state authorities, local self-government bodies, military formations established in accordance with the laws of Ukraine, enterprises, institutions and organisations."
As you know, most government agencies now have their own Telegram channels, as more than 70% of Ukrainians receive information, including through this messenger. Source
As it turned out, the officials and government agencies we interviewed were in no hurry to close the channels.
For example, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau told us that there are no plans to close the NABU Telegram channel until official orders are received and stressed that it is only a recommendation from the National Commission for the Protection of Civil Society.
“I think we need to look deeper into the NSDC’s message, because, as I read, it concerns more military personnel who are banned from using Telegram on their official devices. So far, the NABU has not had any orders or instructions regarding the closure. We are waiting for official orders. If it is at the level of an instruction, and not just a recommendation, as stated in the text of the message, it is clear that we will comply with the order. If they say to close, we will close,”
– he said exclusively to .
The Bureau of Economic Security had a similar reaction. They have also not seen any instructions to close the channels, so they will wait for the government’s order.
“There are two key points. Firstly, I do not see any interpretation in this published message that would relate to the closure of official, verified telegram channels. However, since we are an executive body, if there is a decision to close at the government level, we will close the BES Telegram channel. As of now, we have not received any official documents regarding the closure, so we will not close it today.”
– the BES press service told Kommersant Ukrainsky
The Kyiv City State Administration also said that they would not rush to implement the decision, as they first need to understand what it means.
“First, we need to study this decision of the National Security and Defence Council and understand it. We run the KCSA Telegram channel not for civil servants, but for the public. According to statistics, people in Ukraine most often receive news from messengers, including Telegram channels. Therefore, we will need to consult with other authorities, perhaps the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, and hear their recommendations, as they are the ones who deal with information policy. If we have to close it, we will look for messengers to switch to.”
– she said exclusively for
The head of Mykolaiv Regional State Administration Vitaliy Kim said