Foreign intelligence services are able to see messages sent by Russian soldiers using the Telegram messaging app, Russia's minister for digital development Maksud Shadayev said on Wednesday, the Interfax news agency reported.
Telegram is one of the most popular messenger services in Russia and is widely used by Russian forces fighting in Ukraine. However it's under pressure from the authorities who have imposed restrictions on it over what they say is its failure to delete extremist content.
"There are numerous indications that foreign intelligence agencies have access to the messenger's correspondence and are using this data against the Russian military," Shadayev was cited as saying.
However, the minister did not provide specific technical details on how foreign spies are allegedly accessing the encrypted messages.
Roskomnadzor, Russia's communications regulator, has said it is slowing down Telegram's service amid a wider crackdown on foreign-owned messengers who it says have failed to comply with Russian law.
The Kremlin confirmed last week that U.S. messenger app WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, has been completely blocked for failing to comply with local law, suggesting Russians turn to a state-backed "national messenger" - MAX - instead.
However, critics say MAX is a surveillance tool. Russian authorities deny this.
Frontline reliance
Many troops rely on Telegram for vital battlefield tasks. These include coordinating artillery fire, sharing maps, and communicating with commanders, according to reports.
Critics argue that secure military communication systems are often unavailable or unreliable. Soldiers have previously complained about the loss of other communication tools, such as Starlink terminals.
It's reported that both sides of the war in Ukraine use the app extensively for propaganda, recruitment, and battlefield logistics.
Telegram has remained one of the few platforms in Russia where independent news and dissenting voices can still be found.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his administration was working towards a fair deal with Iran, hours after the Senate voted to direct him t...
Fans across Uzbekistan gathered in homes, cafes and public viewing areas on Tuesday (24 June) to watch their national team take on Portugal in its sec...
From Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking night in Houston to England’s frustrating draw in Boston and Algeria’s comeback win in San Francisco, t...
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the construction of two new 5,000-tonne warships every year over the next five years, signalling one of th...
A United Nations enquiry has accused Israeli authorities and security forces of deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza, saying the action...
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin in Baku for bilateral talks, covering political, economic, humanitarian and regional security issues, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.
The Kremlin has defended sweeping internet restrictions across Russia, saying measures such as blocking messaging platforms and virtual private networks are necessary for national security rather than a return to past controls.
Starting a war is easy; ending one is far harder. The maxim, often attributed to Gabriel García Márquez, has held true in Ukraine. After four years of conflict, Russia has failed to achieve its strategic aims. Now the U.S. risks a similar outcome in Iran.
How do political narratives travel from Moscow to Westminster?
At least thirteen people have died and sixty-six have been injured following an explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at Ras Laffan, authorities said on Sunday.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on a landmark internet deal that will allow traffic to pass through Azerbaijani networks.It's the latest deal to highlight the ongoing peace process between the two countries.
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Three students have been killed and at least seven injured after two of their peers opened fire in a high school in the Philippines, police said. A spokesperson for the police said the two suspects, aged 14 and 15, had been arrested and a police pistol confiscated. Bullying is a possible motive.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the construction of two new 5,000-tonne warships every year over the next five years, signalling one of the country’s most ambitious naval expansion plans to date.
Google-owned YouTube has settled a lawsuit brought by a teenage plaintiff who claimed the platform harmed his mental health, avoiding what would have been the second California trial over allegations that social media companies fuel youth addiction.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to allow a Rastafarian inmate to pursue a damages claim against Louisiana prison officials who forcibly shaved his head in alleged violation of his religious beliefs, ruling that federal law does not permit such lawsuits against individual officers.
Russia has accused the United States of failing to follow through on what Moscow describes as “understandings” reached between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump during their Alaska summit last year, in a sign of mounting frustration in the Kremlin.
Bangladesh has called for increased climate financing and faster delivery of support to vulnerable nations, arguing that current global funding commitments fall far short of what developing countries need to tackle the growing impacts of climate change.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment