Zelenskyy admits Ukraine uses Telegram for intelligence operations in Russia

MOSCOW

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday admitted that Ukraine's intelligence is using the Telegram messenger "to work in Russia."

Speaking at a news conference in Kyiv, in response to a journalist's question about the blocking of Telegram in Russia, he said Moscow is also using Telegram to target Ukrainians.

"Of course, Russia and its special services have worked and continue to work through Telegram in Ukraine. We know this, we identify it, and we fight against it. As for us, frankly speaking, we also work through Telegram in Russia," he said.

Zelenskyy acknowledged that restrictions against Telegram create difficulties for Ukraine and promised "to get to Max," Russia's national messenger.

"Now with the restrictions on Telegram in Russia, of course, it will be more difficult to transmit signals to their society. Nevertheless, I received a report regarding their new network — Max. We'll get to Max too," he said.

Russian authorities began slowing down the functioning of Telegram in December. In early February, they limited access to the app in Russia but lifted restrictions following complaints from the military.

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