ECHR Ruling on Legality of Ukraine's Blocking of Russian Social Networks Supports Telegram Ban – Poroshenko

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has recently reaffirmed the legality of Ukraine's decision to block Russian social networks, including 'VKontakte' and 'Yandex', a ruling made in 2017. This decision has now become a pivotal argument for the Ukrainian government to consider banning the widely-used messaging platform Telegram. Former President of Ukraine, current Member of Parliament, and leader of the 'European Solidarity' party, Petro Poroshenko, expressed this viewpoint.

Poroshenko highlighted that the ECHR dismissed four complaints in the case of Boyarov and Others v. Ukraine, which pertained to the blocking of Russian internet resources. This ruling, issued on March 3, 2026, carries significant implications for the future actions of the Ukrainian authorities. 'This is yet another reminder that in the war against Russia, there are no trivial matters. It is long overdue to make critical decisions regarding other information platforms. The most dangerous among them is Telegram. With the ECHR ruling in hand, the current government can block this endless source of terrorist recruitment, information leaks, and the spread of Russian disinformation,' Poroshenko stated on Facebook on Thursday.

The case of Boyarov and Others v. Ukraine involves sanctions imposed by the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) on May 15, 2017, which included a ban on access to the social networks 'VKontakte' and 'Odnoklassniki', as well as the internet portal 'Yandex' and the email service Mail.ru. Four applicants, who are users of these platforms, challenged the blocking, citing two articles of the European Convention on Human Rights: the interference with freedom of expression (Article 10 ECHR) and the right to respect for family and private life (Article 8 ECHR).

The ECHR examined these complaints and concluded that the applicants failed to demonstrate any direct and substantial violation of their rights. The court particularly noted the context of the armed conflict that has been ongoing in Ukraine since 2014, recognizing it as an 'important factor' in assessing the actions of the state. The court's ruling also pointed out that 'VKontakte' and 'Odnoklassniki' are controlled by entities linked to Russian state companies, which is a critical element in evaluating information security risks.

The court also assessed the applicants' argument regarding the sudden imposition of restrictions but concluded that, in the context of armed conflict, the actions of the Ukrainian authorities were justified. This ECHR ruling could serve as an important precedent for future actions by the Ukrainian government concerning the control of the information space and ensuring national security.

Thus, Poroshenko's stance on the necessity of banning Telegram gains new grounds, as the ECHR ruling emphasizes the importance of controlling information resources that could be exploited to destabilize the situation in the country. In times of war, when information security is critically important, state authorities must take all possible measures to protect national interests.