Russia Charges Telegram Founder Pavel Durov With Aiding Terrorist Activity

The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorist activity and failing to remove prohibited information, in violation of Russian law. The FSB alleges that Telegram failed to remove numerous channels, chats, and bots used by Ukrainian special services and terrorist organizations to plan and coordinate acts of sabotage, terrorism, mass killings, and cyber-fraud within Russia, resulting in casualties and billions in damages.

Durov has been charged under Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for aiding terrorist activity and has been placed on the international wanted list. The FSB also identified a Telegram chatbot named “Daivinchik/Leo-Dating, Chatting, and New Friends” used by Ukrainian special services to recruit Russian citizens for sabotage and terrorist activities through deception and psychological manipulation.

Between July 2025 and the present, 46 Russian citizens aged 12 to 22 were allegedly detained for carrying out armed attacks on law enforcement officers and acts of arson targeting transport, energy, communications, and financial infrastructure. They also acted as couriers, transporting funds from defrauded citizens to cryptocurrency exchange points for deposit into accounts controlled by the adversary.

The FSB further accused Ukrainian intelligence agents of using the “Daivinchik” Telegram dating service to masquerade as young women and initiate contact with young Russian men. After building romantic relationships, the men were sent geolocation of meeting places and paid for tickets or gifts via phishing links. Subsequently, individuals posing as Russian law enforcement authorities contacted the men through foreign messaging apps, claiming the funds had ended up in accounts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and that the coordinates were used for missile strikes and drone attacks. The intimidated citizens were then coerced under threat of criminal prosecution into carrying out armed attacks and acts of arson.

Telegram’s official account on X posted a photo of Durov giving the middle finger in response. Durov, who lives in Dubai, has not publicly commented. The charges come after Russia introduced restrictions on Telegram, including throttling at the start of the year and a near-complete blockade in April 2026. Almost two years ago, Durov was also arrested and charged in France for failing to tackle illicit activity on the platform.