Russia claims Telegram aids Ukraine spies

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) on Saturday accused Telegram of providing information to Ukraine's military and intelligence.

The FSB claimed in a statement that it has evidence that Ukraine's intelligence had access to communications of the Russian military and used it against them.

"The Federal Security Service has reliable data indicating that the armed forces and special services of Ukraine are capable of quickly obtaining information posted on the Telegram messenger and using it for military purposes," the statement read.

The FSB further said that the use of Telegram by Russian servicemen in the area of the combat zone over the past three months has led to threats to their lives.

"As a result of analyzing the work of the Telegram messenger, numerous reliable data were obtained showing that its use by servicemen of the armed forces of the Russian Federation in the area of the special military operation during the last three months repeatedly resulted in creating life-threatening situations for soldiers," it said.

The Russian authorities started slowing down the work of Telegram in December. In early February, they shortly limited access to the app on Russia's territory, but following many complaints from the military, lifted restrictions.

Since 2019, Russia banned access to several social media platforms and apps on its territory, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and WhatsApp.