Russia鈥檚 main domestic security agency said Wednesday that Pavel Durov, founder and owner of the messaging app Telegram, has been charged with aiding terrorism and put on an international wanted list.
The charges against Durov, who was born and but later moved abroad, came as the Russian authorities restrict Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps in the country. It is part of a long-term effort to bring the internet under the Kremlin鈥檚 full control that has intensified since Moscow launched its in February 2022.
The Federal Security Service, also known as the FSB, accused Telegram鈥檚 administration in a statement of failing to remove 鈥渘umerous channels, chats and bots鈥� that are 鈥渁ctively used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist, and extremist organizations to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass murder, and cyberfraud” in Russia, which resulted in 鈥渘umerous human casualties.鈥�
The agency accused Ukrainian security services of using a popular dating chatbot on Telegram to lure and recruit Russians for 鈥渟abotage and terrorist activities,鈥� and said 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.
Durov earlier this year announced that the Russian authorities opened a criminal investigation against him and accused them of fabricating pretexts to restrict access to Telegram as part of an attempt to 鈥渟uppress the right to privacy and free speech.鈥�
If convicted, the entrepreneur could face up to life in prison in Russia.
Telegram did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Its official website says that the company is based in Dubai and that Durov, who holds dual citizenship of France and the United Arab Emirates, lives there, too.
Under President Vladimir Putin, Russian authorities have engaged in multipronged efforts to rein in the internet. They have adopted restrictive laws and banned websites and platforms that don鈥檛 comply and focused on improving technology to monitor and manipulate online traffic.
Multiple popular social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and X, have been banned in Russia; YouTube has been throttled; popular messaging apps, such as Signal and Viber, have been blocked, and the most popular ones 鈥� WhatsApp and Telegram 鈥� have been restricted.
Russia鈥檚 popular Facebook-like social media platform VK, founded by Durov long before he launched the Telegram messaging app, had come under the control of Kremlin-friendly companies. Russia tried to block Telegram between 2018-20 but failed.
While it鈥檚 still possible to circumvent some of the restrictions by using virtual private network services, many of them are routinely blocked, too.
At the same time, Russia actively promotes the 鈥渘ational鈥� messaging app known as MAX, which critics say could be used for surveillance. The platform is touted by developers and officials as a one-stop shop for messaging, online government services, making payments and more. It openly declares it will share user data with authorities upon request, and experts also say it doesn鈥檛 use end-to-end encryption.
Durov has faced In 2024, he over allegations that his platform was being used for illicit activity, including drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse images. Durov said in March 2025 that he returned to Dubai after spending 鈥渟everal months鈥� in France.
The Kremlin at the time criticized the French authorities for their move against Durov as 鈥渟elective.鈥�
鈥淚 know that many countries have raised concerns about the platform being used in certain ways by certain individuals and entities whose activities could harm the economy or security of certain countries. I think the Russian government might also have had some questions,” Putin said in September 2024, after Durov’s arrest.
鈥淏ut all platforms of this kind are guilty of this. If this is what they鈥檙e doing to Durov, then others should probably be arrested,鈥� the Russian leader said, adding that the French government’s 鈥渁ctions are not entirely clear to me, as they are selective.鈥�
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This story has been corrected to show the potential penalty is life in prison, not 15 years.
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