Telegram blocked by bots of the SBU, GUR and the Ministry of Digital Transformation and then unblocked: what caused it
Last night, reports began to emerge that the popular Ukrainian messenger Telegram had blocked official bots that helped counter Russian military aggression against Ukraine.
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has announced the temporary blocking of official Telegram bots used to counter Russian military aggression. However, the messenger’s administration later resumed their work.
Earlier, several media outlets reported that the bots of the Main Intelligence Directorate, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation’s bot “eVorog” were blocked. These resources were inaccessible to users and served as a platform for reporting the movement of Russian military equipment.
The statement from the intelligence service reads: “Despite the blocking of our bot, your personal data is safe! However, we warn you that the enemy is creating bots with similar names. Do not send any personal data to them. We are already restoring the bot to other platforms.”
It also provided official contact details for inquiries and a call to trust only verified sources. It is not yet known whether representatives of law enforcement agencies have directly addressed Telegram’s management to block bots.
In particular, the Center for Strategic Communications reported that all previously blocked bots have been fully restored, which was an important step in ensuring the country’s digital security.
The reasons why Telegram blocked official Ukrainian bots are still unknown. It is also unknown whether it was revenge and a “warning” to Telegram management for discussing plans to block Telegram in Ukraine.
