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.
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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.
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Australia confirmed it will repatriate citizens from the MV Hondius cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, with quarantine on arrival. Spain, France are evacuating nationals as three deaths are confirmed. In the U.S., two passengers have been isolated after testing positive for the virus.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed Iran’s response to a U.S. peace proposal as a “stupid proposal,” saying Tehran failed to commit to abandoning its pursuit of a nuclear weapon, while warning the fragile ceasefire was on “massive life support”.
Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku has been elected the 142nd head of the Georgian Orthodox Church at a meeting of clergy in Tbilisi following the death of longtime Patriarch Ilia II.
Afghanistan has signed a five-year gold mining contract with Afghan and Azerbaijani companies in a deal worth more than $20m, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has said.
Senior officials from China and Uzbekistan met in Beijing this week for talks on trade, infrastructure and bilateral cooperation, underscoring a relationship that has continued to deepen steadily in recent years.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer laid down the gauntlet to challengers on Tuesday (12 May), as he defied calls to resign at a meeting of Cabinet, telling ministers that there had been no official move to trigger a leadership contest.
Malaysia's Maritime Enforcement Agency has launched a search and rescue operation for 14 people missing at sea after a wooden boat, strongly believed to be illegally transporting undocumented Indonesian migrants, capsized and sank off the country's western coast on Monday morning.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 12th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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