Russia Charges Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Over Alleged Terrorism Links

July 30, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

Russia has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activity, accusing the messaging platform of being exploited by Ukrainian intelligence operatives to organise attacks inside the country. The Federal Security Service (FSB) and Russia’s Investigative Committee said a Telegram chatbot called “Daivinchik/Leo” had been used by Ukrainian special services to recruit young Russians for sabotage and terrorism-related operations.

The FSB said 46 Russians aged between 12 and 22 had been detained over the past year after allegedly being recruited through the chatbot. The individuals were accused of involvement in planned attacks against law enforcement officers and attempts to damage transport, energy, communications and financial infrastructure. Russian authorities said operatives had allegedly used the dating chatbot, which is popular in Russia following the withdrawal of Tinder from the market, to contact users while posing as young women before pressuring them into committing crimes.

The charges mark the latest escalation in a long-running investigation into Durov and Telegram. The FSB said the Telegram founder had been placed on an international wanted list, although it did not specify how Russian authorities intended to pursue the action. Telegram responded through its official account on X by posting an image of Durov making an obscene gesture with his middle finger. Durov’s current location is unknown. He said in a recent post that he had been in Georgia the previous week.

The Russian-born entrepreneur later acquired Emirati and French citizenship. Before creating Telegram, Durov founded VKontakte, Russia’s largest social networking platform, which was often described as the country’s equivalent of Facebook. He left the company in 2014 after pressure from Russian authorities and sold his remaining stake. Telegram has since developed into one of the world’s largest messaging services, with a reputation for privacy-focused communication and limited content moderation compared with many major technology platforms.

Source: FSX Business News