Russia Escalates Pressure on Telegram, Charging Founder Durov With Terror Support
The FSB levels new allegations against Pavel Durov as Moscow continues its campaign to restrict the messaging platform and promote its own alternative.
FSB Formally Charges Durov; Adds Him to International Wanted List
Russia’s Federal Security Service has formally charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorist activity, according to the FSB’s public relations center via Russian news agency Interfax. The action represents an escalation in Moscow’s year-long effort to pressure the platform and its creator. Durov now faces charges under Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 of Russia’s criminal code, alongside placement on an international wanted list—a domestic designation that does not obligate other nations to take enforcement action.
The FSB claims that Telegram maintains channels, chats, and bots actively used by Ukrainian intelligence services and extremist organizations to coordinate sabotage, mass killings, and cyber fraud operations targeting Russia. The agency attributes significant consequences to these activities, including deaths among civilians and billions of rubles in material losses. In a separate development timed with the announcement, Russian authorities reported detaining 46 individuals allegedly recruited through Ukrainian operatives using a Telegram-based dating application.
Durov Defiant; Multiple Legal Battles Converge
Durov has not directly responded to Wednesday’s charges, but his track record suggests he will maintain his defiant stance. When Russia initiated its case in February, he criticized the Kremlin for fabricating pretexts to curtail the platform’s availability in Russia, describing the government’s approach as “a sad spectacle of a state afraid of its own people.” Shortly after the latest charges became public, Telegram’s official social media account posted an image of Durov with an obscene gesture—media outlets interpreted this as a response to the warrant announcement.
The Telegram founder currently faces a separate indictment in France dating to 2024, which centers on accusations related to drug trafficking, organized crime, and the presence of child sexual abuse material on the platform. He posted bail of €5 million and remains under judicial supervision. Notably, both the Russian and French cases rest on similar claims: that Telegram refuses to remove prohibited content and declines to cooperate with government investigators. Durov has dismissed the French charges as “legally and logically absurd,” denying all allegations.
Moscow’s Broader Campaign Continues
Russia’s enforcement actions against Telegram intensified beginning in August 2025 and have remained consistent. The country has levied 100 million rubles—approximately $1.3 million—in fines against the platform this year alone, primarily for non-compliance with content removal directives. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated Monday that negotiations toward service restoration are ongoing, though he characterized Telegram’s representatives as “not very active” in those discussions.
Durov has maintained residence in Dubai since departing Russia in 2014 and holds passports from four jurisdictions: Russia, France, the United Arab Emirates, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. A formal Interpol notice would require a separate request and Interpol’s independent review—distinctions that currently shield him from immediate extradition risk. Meanwhile, Russia has accelerated promotion of its domestic MAX messenger application, which human rights advocates have criticized as a surveillance tool.
Source: Russian Federal Security Service, via Decrypt. Not financial advice.