Russia has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorism, accusing the messaging platform of allowing Ukrainian intelligence services to use the app for recruitment and the coordination of sabotage operations.
The country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) alleged that Telegram was used to “prepare and co-ordinate acts of sabotage and terror” inside Russia and claimed the platform failed to remove channels, chats and automated bots linked to Ukrainian activities.
Russian authorities have also issued an international arrest warrant for Durov.
Shortly after the announcement, Telegram’s official account on X shared an image of Durov raising his middle finger. The billionaire entrepreneur has previously accused Russian authorities of inventing reasons to restrict citizens’ access to the messaging platform.
Telegram remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging applications, serving tens of millions of users despite increasing government restrictions as part of a broader crackdown on internet freedom. The platform is also heavily used in Ukraine.
Durov, 41, left Russia in 2014 after refusing government demands to shut down opposition groups operating on the platform. Before founding Telegram, he created VKontakte, often referred to as Russia’s equivalent of Facebook.
Now based abroad, Durov holds French and United Arab Emirates citizenship in addition to his Russian background. It remains unclear whether countries outside Russia would recognise or act upon the international arrest warrant.
Telegram currently has around 950 million users worldwide and has long promoted itself as a privacy-focused messaging service. However, the platform has faced repeated criticism over its moderation practices, allegations it has consistently denied.
The latest Russian charges come while Durov remains under formal investigation in France following his 2024 arrest over allegations that Telegram failed to adequately moderate criminal activity on the platform. Although he was later released, French authorities have continued their investigation.
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