Russia charges Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism
Russia's main domestic security agency on Wednesday charged Telegram founder and owner Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list.
The move comes as Russian authorities tighten restrictions on Telegram, one of the country's most widely used messaging platforms, as part of a broader effort to bring the internet under tighter state control following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In a statement, the Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Telegram of failing to remove "numerous channels, chats and bots" allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies and terrorist and extremist groups to plan and coordinate acts of sabotage, terrorism, mass murder and cyber fraud in Russia.
The FSB claimed the activities had resulted in "numerous human casualties".
The agency also alleged that Ukrainian security services had used a Telegram dating chatbot to lure and recruit Russians for sabotage and terrorist activities. It said 46 users of the chatbot, aged between 12 and 22, had been detained across Russia since July 2025 on charges including attacking law enforcement officers, arson and other offences.
Durov, who was born in Russia but later moved abroad, said earlier this year that Russian authorities had opened a criminal investigation against him and accused them of fabricating allegations to restrict access to Telegram in an attempt to suppress privacy and freedom of speech.
If convicted, Durov could face life imprisonment under Russian law.
Telegram did not immediately respond to requests for comment. According to the company's website, Telegram is based in Dubai, where Durov, who holds dual citizenship of the United Arab Emirates and France, also resides.
Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has steadily tightened control over the internet by introducing restrictive laws, blocking websites and platforms that fail to comply with government demands, and expanding its ability to monitor and regulate online traffic.
Facebook, Instagram and X have been banned in Russia, YouTube has been throttled, while messaging platforms such as Signal and Viber have been blocked. Authorities have also imposed restrictions on WhatsApp and Telegram.
VK, Russia's largest social media platform and originally founded by Durov before he launched Telegram, is now controlled by Kremlin-linked companies. Russia attempted to block Telegram between 2018 and 2020 but was unsuccessful.
Although some users continue to bypass restrictions using virtual private networks (VPNs), Russian authorities have also moved to block many VPN services.
At the same time, the government has been promoting a state-backed messaging platform called MAX, which critics say could facilitate surveillance. The app offers messaging, government services, payment facilities and other functions, and states that it will provide user data to authorities upon request. Experts also say it lacks end-to-end encryption.
Durov has also faced legal scrutiny outside Russia. In 2024, he was arrested in Paris over allegations that Telegram was being used for criminal activities, including drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse material. He said in March 2025 that he had returned to Dubai after spending several months in France.