Ukraine’s spy chief hints at dangers of using Telegram and Viber
Ukrainian entrepreneur Yaroslav Azhnyuk shared the insights from his conversation with the head of the Defense Intelligence or HUR, Kyrylo Budanov, in a Twitter post dated April 6.
According to the Petcube founder, Ukraine’s spy chief warned him against using some popular messengers.
In particular, Azhnyuk stated that he had spoken with Budanov and Deputy PM Mykhailo Fedorov about the risks of using Viber and Telegram.
In a personal conversation, the head of the HUR said that "the FSB (Russian security service, the successor to the Soviet KGB) has the keys to Telegram." And Viber, allegedly, is an application created for espionage, even if a user does not conduct any correspondence through it.
Budanov told Azhnyuk that this information could be shared publicly, and when the latter asked why this was not being discussed at the state level, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine replied: "Speak out".
According to the businessman, the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, has promised to help uncover the facts about the ties between Telegram and the Kremlin.
Will you support Ukraine’s free press?
Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations.
As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility – to amplify Ukraine’s voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation.
It’s the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine.
If you’re willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda.
Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd.
If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly.
There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting.
We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If you’re willing to stand up for the truth – consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much.
Will you help tell Ukraine’s story to the world?
Twenty years ago, most people hadn’t even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyone’s lips and everyone’s headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of – from music and culture to technology.
We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If you’re willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
