Russia has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activity, accusing the messaging platform of being used by Ukrainian intelligence to recruit Russians and coordinate attacks inside the country.
The charges were announced on Wednesday by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), marking the culmination of a long-running investigation into Durov and Telegram.
In response, Telegram’s official account on X posted an image of Durov making an obscene gesture with his middle finger, without issuing any further statement.
Russian authorities alleged that a Telegram chatbot known as Daivinchik/Leo, a popular dating service in Russia, was used by Ukrainian intelligence agents posing as young women to recruit and manipulate young Russians into carrying out acts of sabotage and terrorism.
According to the FSB, 46 Russians aged between 12 and 22 have been arrested over the past year after allegedly being recruited through the chatbot to attack law enforcement officers or set fire to transport, energy, communications and financial infrastructure.
Ukraine has not commented on the allegations.
The FSB said Durov would be placed on an international wanted list, although it did not specify the legal mechanism for doing so. Interpol has yet to comment on whether Russia has requested a Red Notice.
Durov, who is based in Dubai, currently holds Emirati and French citizenship after leaving Russia in 2014 following pressure from Russian authorities. His current whereabouts are unclear, although he said last week that he was in Georgia.
In 2024, Durov was arrested in France over allegations that Telegram failed to adequately curb criminal activity on its platform and did not sufficiently cooperate with law enforcement requests. He was later allowed to leave France while investigations continue.
Durov has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that Telegram exceeds its legal obligations in moderating content and cooperating with authorities to combat crime.
Russia has increasingly restricted access to Telegram as part of broader efforts to tighten control over the internet, although the platform remains widely used by Russian government agencies, including the Kremlin and the Defence Ministry, to communicate with the public.
