Telegram is used heavily in both Ukraine & Russia. But I doubt it has anything to do with it.

Between Ukraine and Russia, Telegram is the only choice for Russia.

Ukraine has many many other options.

What else is there for Russians to communicate with the outer world?

WhatsApp is still quite popular and it’s not blocked.

The problem is not with communication with the outer world. The problem with other messengers is that everything you type there is monitored by CIA/NSA and Ukraine has access to this information. Telegram right now is the only secure messenger that doesn't leak them data on Russian citizens.

and the Russian govt has carte blanche access to Telegram. Russia invaded their sovereign neighbour Ukraine who the f cares about their forums for messaging. yawn.

Any source for this?

He hasn’t lived in Russia for a decade. From what I understand the reason he left is because he refused to give them access. He’d prob be arrested there at the airport as well.

I’m guessing you’re in SMS-land (USofA) where telegram (nor WhatsApp) never really caught on? Because telegram is HUGE outside of the US and China, including Ukraine.

Check out https://texty.org.ua/articles/112347/eight-signsof-danger-te... especially .

Yes, it's Ukrainian, but it's very detailed.

By the way, I'm not sure what reasons would Ukraine have to make up their accusations: if Telegram weren't entangled with Russia, why would it be such a big problem for them?

> and the Russian govt has carte blanche access to Telegram

That hardly corresponds with Durov's relationships and history with Russian government.

> Russia invaded their sovereign neighbour Ukraine who the f cares about their forums for messaging. yawn.

What does one even have to do with the other? Feels like obsessing a bit too much over a single topic.

I watched an expose on drone use in Ukraine and it appear they are using discord of all services...

Bad operational security. Still it is them communicating with each other using Discord. They use Telegram to communicate with the masses.

Based on media reports, Telegram has been continually used by a hostile autocratic government to recruit, organize and direct various gray-zone attacks against Europe, on European soil.

Now it sounds like Europe finally put the foot down.

And why wouldn't they?

Telegram is also one of the very few places where ordinary Russians can read alt-news and not only Kremlin-approved propaganda. And Russia's stringent internet censorship is only tightening as years go by.

Spoken like a person who had never ever accessed a single resources in Ru-net, nor interacted with people on their social media platforms.

I really have no idea why you think this is worth noting; they've only posted a few times, and haven't once said a negative thing about Ukraine or Ukrainians.

Also, you don't have to tell people to take the opinions of anonymous strangers with a "grain of salt." It's weird.

What about this comment? [1]

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41342512

It was a workaround to avoid saying that I think that there's a non-zero chance that this account exists to be shill against Western aid for Ukraine and so people might want to stop upvoting them.

Saying that outright tends to get you flagged to death and for good reason, but since my alternative got flagged to death anyway I guess I can say it outright now.