Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov, center, smiles following his meeting with Indonesian Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara in Jakarta, Indonesia on August. (AP)
Russia on Wednesday charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with “aiding terrorism” and has put the messaging app head on an international wanted list.
The Federal Security Service (FSS), Russia’s main domestic security agency, alleged that Telegram’s administration has not removed “numerous channels, chats and bots” that are “actively used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist, and extremist organizations to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass murder, and cyberfraud” in Russia, Associated Press reported.
It also accused Ukrainian security services of using a popular dating chatbot on Telegram to lure and recruit Russians for “sabotage and terrorist activities”. 46 users of the chatbot, from 12 to 22 years old, have been detained across Russia since July 2025 for assaulting law enforcement officers, arson and other acts.
The move against Durov comes even as Russia has imposed restrictions against Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps in the country. The move is part of Putin government’s long-term effort to bring the internet under the Kremlin’s full control. The efforts have intensified since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Popular social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram and X have been banned in Russia, while YouTube has been throttled.
Messaging apps, like Signal and Viber, have been blocked in the country, while WhatsApp and Telegram have been restricted.
Durov, who became a French citizen in 2021, lives in Dubai. The Telegram founder has faced criminal investigations in other countries as well.
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In 2024, he was arrested in Paris over allegations that his platform was being used for illicit activity, including drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse images. In March 2025, he said he returned to Dubai after spending “several months” in France.
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