Russian authorities have formally charged Telegram founder and chief executive Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism, intensifying the government’s efforts to tighten its grip on digital communication platforms.
The country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Wednesday that Durov had been accused of allowing Telegram to be used for activities linked to terrorism and had also been placed on an international wanted list.
According to the FSB, the platform’s management failed to remove “numerous channels, chats and bots” allegedly used by “Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist and extremist organizations to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass murder, and cyber fraud” in Russia, which resulted in “numerous human casualties.”
The agency also alleged that Ukrainian intelligence operatives used a Telegram-based dating chatbot to recruit Russian citizens for sabotage missions and terrorist acts. It claimed that over the past year, 46 users of the chatbot, aged between 12 and 22, had been arrested for offences including arson and attacks on law enforcement personnel.
Durov, who left Russia years ago and currently lives in Dubai, had previously disclosed that a criminal investigation had been opened against him by Russian authorities.
He argued that the case was based on false allegations intended to restrict access to Telegram and “suppress the right to privacy and free speech.”
If found guilty under Russian law, the billionaire entrepreneur could face a life sentence.
Telegram, which has more than one billion users globally, did not immediately issue an official response to the charges. However, an account linked to the company on X posted an image of Durov raising his middle finger at the camera.
The messaging platform states that it is headquartered in Dubai, where Durov, who holds French and United Arab Emirates citizenship, resides.
The move comes as Moscow continues to strengthen internet controls introduced after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Over the past few years, Russian authorities have restricted or blocked several global digital platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X, Signal, Viber, WhatsApp and Telegram, while promoting MAX, a state-supported messaging application that critics say could expand government surveillance.
Despite those restrictions, Telegram remains widely used in Russia, including by government officials and military bloggers, with the Kremlin maintaining an active official channel on the platform.
Durov is also facing legal scrutiny in France after being arrested in Paris in 2024 over allegations that Telegram was used to facilitate crimes, including drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
French prosecutors said he remains under formal investigation and has been questioned on multiple occasions, most recently this month.
At the same time, Russia has repeatedly rejected accusations by Western governments that it has used Telegram to recruit people for sabotage operations across Europe.
