Ukraine’s top spy declares Telegram a ‘threat to national security’ | 7 Sept 2024 | Telegram poses a real threat to Ukraine’s national security, the chief of that country’s Main Directorate of Military Intelligence, Kirill Budanov, has stated. The official acknowledged that the encrypted instant-messaging platform has become the prime source of information in the country, “outperforming everything else.” Telegram was created by Russian tech entrepreneurs Pavel and Nikolay Durov back in 2013. In an interview with Charter Radio station on Saturday, Budanov said that he does not advocate “simply shutting down” the messaging app. According to the intelligence chief, while quite difficult to implement, such a ban is doable, though. “I call for all Telegram channels” to be obliged to establish a physical presence in Ukraine, Budanov declared.