However, it can be used in favor of Ukraine.
Kirill Budanov said that there is no security, but at the same time it can be used in favor of Ukraine.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, Kirill Budanov, said this during the Kyiv Stratcom Forum 2024, writes Detector.Media.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate emphasized that the functioning of Telegram in Ukraine needs to be regulated.
“From the point of view of national security, telegrams are definitely a problem, this must be understood. Despite the fact that I am absolutely against the suppression of freedom of speech, but this is too much. That is, in our country, any person can open a channel, start “broadcasting” on it everything that whatever she wants, absolutely whatever she wants, and when they start doing something, they hide behind the fact that this is a restriction of freedom of the media, this is not freedom of the media, it’s called a little differently. In my opinion, one of the options is to force everyone to officially register. do you want to be a media outlet? Please register. There is nothing to hide if you want to convey to people your view of the truth. This will improve the situation a little,” notes the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate.
In addition, according to the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, the enemy uses published photos on Telegram to correct blows
“When any strikes are carried out, open Telegram for the region where it happened – and we’ll find out where it happened. In fact, this is how it works, this simply makes the enemy’s task easier and reduces the price he pays for intelligence information. Send someone then – you have to pay money and, in principle, some kind of risk. Ordering a satellite image takes time, but telegrams are the fastest way in terms of adjusting strikes on some objects,” said the head of Ukrainian intelligence.
At the same time, according to Budanov, Telegram has another side. When you can use a messenger to convey something to people in the occupied territories.
“Everyone reads it. In many ways it has a destructive effect here inside, but also thanks to it you can convey something to people in the occupied territories. This is something that more or less somehow works,” he said.
- Ukrainian intelligence previously noted that the Telegram messenger includes a number of threats to the security of Ukraine, so it is necessary to look for options to solve this problem.
- Last July, the American newspaper The New York Times wrote that the FSB monitors communications on Telegram and WhatsApp, including in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
- And the British newspaper Financial Times wrote that the Telegram messenger is massively selling secret data from American government agencies, including law enforcement and intelligence.Back in 2022, the SBU published a list of Telegram channels that are coordinated by the Russian General Staff.
- The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine registered bill No. 11115, which will allow regulation of the activities of platforms for general access to information. In particular, this applies to the Telegram platform.
- According to research, Russia has the greatest information influence on Ukrainians through Telegram.