Ukraine's Military Intelligence Claims Telegram Blocked Official Bots Opposing Russia

Ukraine's military intelligence agency GUR has accused the Telegram messaging platform of blocking a number of official bots that were created to counter Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. According to the GUR, Telegram's management unreasonably blocked these bots, including the 'Main Intelligence Bot', despite the platform's own rules and public statements about allowing unfiltered war information from both sides of the conflict.

Telegram, founded by Russian-born Pavel Durov, has become a popular platform for both governments and the public to post and access uncensored information about the war in Ukraine. Major media outlets, government entities, and public figures in both Russia and Ukraine rely on the app to share updates and content related to the ongoing conflict. The GUR emphasized that despite the blocking of their bot, Ukrainian users' personal data remains safe.

However, the intelligence agency warned that Russian operatives have been creating chat bots with similar names in an attempt to confuse Ukrainians. The GUR urged citizens not to provide personal data to join these fake bots and to trust only official sources. They assured that efforts are already underway to restore the blocked bot's operation on other platforms.

Why this matters: The blocking of Ukraine's official military intelligence bots on Telegram raises concerns about the platform's neutrality and commitment to allowing unfiltered information from both sides of the conflict. It also highlights the ongoing information warfare between Ukraine and Russia in the digital sphere.

Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, reported the blocking of the GUR bots on his Telegram channel. The GUR has provided official contact information for communication, including an email address, Signal, and WhatsApp numbers. Telegram's press service did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on the matter.

Key Takeaways

• Ukraine's military intel agency accuses Telegram of blocking official bots to counter Russia.
• Telegram, founded by Russian Pavel Durov, has become a platform for uncensored war info.
• GUR warns of Russian operatives creating fake bots to confuse Ukrainians, urges use of official sources.
• Blocking of GUR bots raises concerns about Telegram's neutrality in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
• GUR provides alternate contact info as Telegram's press service did not respond to Reuters' request.