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.

"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,

Ukraine on Friday restricted the use of Telegram for its government, military and security officials, citing “threats” to national security on the app founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov. “The National Security and Defence Council decided to restrict the use of Telegram in government agencies,

Ukraine has limited the use of Telegram for government, military, and security officials due to national security risks. The National Security and Defence Council stated that Russia might access personal data and messages on the app.