- Russia’s FSB charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorist activity and placed him on an international wanted list.
- The agency alleged Telegram failed to remove channels, chats and bots used by Ukrainian special services and extremist groups for sabotage and cyber fraud inside Russia.
- Telegram’s official X account responded by posting an image of Durov making a middle-finger gesture; no further comment was issued.
- Telegram, with over 1 billion users and deep crypto ties via TON/Gram, faces ongoing Russian restrictions and fines exceeding 100 million rubles this year.
Russia’s Federal Security Service has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activities and issued an international arrest warrant for him, according to reports citing the agency and Interfax.
In a Reuters report on July 29, the FSB stated that Durov was charged under the Russian Criminal Code for assistance to terrorist activity. The case centers on Telegram’s alleged failure to remove “channels, chats and bots” that Ukrainian special services, terrorist and extremist organizations used “to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass killings, and cyber-fraud operations within the Russian Federation.”
The Block reported that the FSB placed Durov on an international wanted list. Reuters separately confirmed the international warrant. The charges escalate a dispute that intensified after Russia began restricting Telegram operations, with the platform already fined more than 100 million rubles (about $1.25 million) this year for non-compliance with content-removal demands.
Telegram, founded in 2013, claims more than 1 billion users and remains widely used on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The platform is a major hub for crypto communities, trading groups, bots and blockchain Mini Apps. It is closely integrated with The Open Network (TON), whose native token was renamed Gram in June; Gram was trading near $1.42, down roughly 2.4% in the prior 24 hours, according to CoinDesk.
Shortly after the FSB announcement, Telegram’s official X account posted an image of Durov making an obscene middle-finger gesture. No formal statement followed from Durov or the company. Durov, who holds French and UAE citizenship and is based in Dubai, has previously described Russian pressure as an attempt to suppress privacy and free speech.
The development adds to Durov’s existing legal challenges, including a French investigation into Telegram’s handling of criminal activity on the platform. Russian authorities have long sought greater control over the messenger, promoting a state-backed alternative while continuing to use Telegram themselves for official communications.
