Russia charges Telegram founder Durov with aiding terror, issues wanted alert

Lead

Russia has charged Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the encrypted messaging app Telegram, with aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list, according to multiple news reports. The Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Durov and Telegram's administration of failing to remove content used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies and terrorist groups to coordinate attacks inside Russia.

The charges mark a significant escalation in Moscow's long-running campaign to tighten control over the internet and digital communications, a drive that has intensified since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Coverage comparison

The story was reported by ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, the Jerusalem Post, RFI, the South China Morning Post, TASS, and The Hindu. All outlets noted that the FSB accused Durov of complicity in terrorism and that an international wanted notice had been issued. Most reports framed the move as part of Russia's broader efforts to restrict online platforms.

ABC Australia, The Guardian, and The Hindu included details of the specific charges under Article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code, which criminalizes facilitating terrorist activities. The Guardian, RFI, and The Hindu also reported that Durov holds French and United Arab Emirates passports. TASS, the Russian state news agency, reported that Durov had been added to the country's list of terrorists and extremists by the financial watchdog Rosfinmonitoring.

Key claims

• Russia announced it was seeking the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov over accusations of complicity in terrorism, as reported by multiple outlets including ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, the Jerusalem Post, RFI, the South China Morning Post, TASS, and The Hindu.
• Durov is accused of allowing Telegram to be used for recruitment by Ukraine's security services. The FSB alleged that Telegram failed to remove channels, chats, and bots used by Ukrainian intelligence and extremist groups to prepare acts of sabotage and terrorism.
• Telegram has been used for recruitment by Ukraine's security services, according to Russian authorities. The FSB specifically cited a dating chatbot called "Daivinchik/Leo" that it said was used to recruit young Russians for sabotage operations.
• Durov has French and United Arab Emirates passports, a fact reported by The Guardian, RFI, and The Hindu.
• Russia has tried to block access to Telegram in the past. Multiple outlets noted that Moscow attempted to block the platform between 2018 and 2020, and has since throttled its service, requiring users to employ VPNs.
• Australia's cyber safety watchdog took court action against Telegram, alleging the platform had failed to remove terrorism material, as reported by The Guardian.
• 46 Russian citizens between the ages of 12 and 22 who used the Leo Match Bot on Telegram have been arrested since July 2025 for assaulting law enforcement officers and carrying out acts of sabotage, according to the FSB, as reported by The Guardian and ABC Australia.