Russia Charges Telegram’s Pavel Durov With Terrorism, Seeks His Arrest Worldwide
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Key Takeaways
- FSB charge: Russia's Federal Security Service charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorist activity and placed him on an international wanted list.
- Recruitment claim: The FSB alleges Ukrainian intelligence used Telegram's dating bot Daivinchik (up to 16 million monthly users) to recruit Russians for sabotage.
- Detentions reported: Russian authorities said 46 people aged 12 to 22 have been detained since last summer over the alleged recruitment campaign.
Russia has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list, alleging his messaging app was used by Ukrainian intelligence to organize terrorist attacks and conduct espionage inside the country.
FSB Charges Durov With Aiding Terrorism
The Federal Security Service said on Wednesday it had charged Durov, claiming Telegram failed to remove channels and bots allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence and by groups Russia designates as terrorist or extremist organizations.
The agency claimed the resulting crimes caused "numerous human casualties," including among women and children, and financial damage running into the billions – though it did not identify specific incidents or present supporting evidence in its statement.
According to the FSB, operatives used the Dayvinchik/Leo dating bot to recruit Russians, including teenagers, for sabotage missions by posing as young women to build relationships with targets, then coercing them under psychological pressure and threat of prosecution into carrying out attacks.
Russian authorities said 46 people between the ages of 12 and 22 had been detained since last summer, according to news agency TASS, while Russia’s Investigative Committee reported that 19 teenagers had been detained, Meduza outlined. The FSB released a video it said showed young people confessing to setting fire to gas stations.
Telegram's Response
Telegram didn't issue a written statement. Instead, its official account on X responded within hours by posting an archival photograph of Durov making an obscene gesture at the camera.
None of these claims have been independently verified, and Ukraine's intelligence services have not commented.
Durov Faces Mounting Legal Pressure
The case adds to Durov's troubles abroad. French authorities detained him in August 2024 over allegations Telegram failed to combat criminal activity on the platform. Born in Russia, Durov now holds French and Emirati citizenship and lives in Dubai. He said last week he was in Georgia; his current whereabouts are unclear.
The charge itself, under Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code, carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, Meduza noted.
Ongoing Battle Over Telegram Access
The country has repeatedly clashed with Telegram, which has nearly 90 million users in the country, over its refusal to remove content and localize user data. In December, Daivinchik was added to the country's Roskomnadzor register of banned websites due to promoting what the nation called child abuse material and LGBT propaganda, according to TASS.
The platform has been effectively throttled since Russia began restricting it in mid-2025, leaving Russians reliant on VPNs to reach it.
In late March, reports said Apple removed VPN clients from the Russian app store amid a Telegram crackdown to promote the state-controlled Max app.
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