Pavel Durov was arrested in France in 2024 but was released on bail. Image: Screenshot: Instagram
Russia is taking legal action against the founder of the messaging service Telegram, Pavel Durov. Moscow accuses him of supporting terrorism. The domestic secret service FSB announced that he was being advertised internationally.
July 29, 2026, 1:34 p.mJuly 29, 2026, 1:34 p.m
Durow, who was born in Russia, left his homeland years ago. The FSB complained that Telegram refused to close chats and bots that were used by Ukrainian secret services and terrorist organizations to recruit personnel for acts of sabotage and terrorist attacks in Russia.
Ukrainian services allegedly use bots to find partners
As a current example, the secret service cited a popular chatbot for finding a partner for young people. Using this bot, Ukrainian services persuaded 46 young Russians between the ages of 12 and 22 to commit crimes that the FSB classified as a terrorist attack, it was said.
Durov responded by posting a photo with a finger on the X platform. He wrote in February, when the investigation first became known: “Every day the authorities fabricate new pretexts to restrict Russians’ access to Telegram because they want to restrict the right to privacy and free speech.”
Moscow restricts free internet
According to industry figures, the Telegram messenger service has more than a billion users worldwide. Moscow has massively tightened internet censorship since its invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Telegram calls have been blocked for a long time, and Messenger was recently throttled. However, even official bodies continue to use Telegram despite the ban. According to information from Kiev, Russia is also recruiting Ukrainians for acts of sabotage, primarily via Telegram.
Other countries also accuse Telegram of extremists or criminals using encrypted communication. Durov was arrested in France in 2024 because his messenger did not prevent such abuse. The Russian was released on bail and the case is ongoing. (sda/dpa)
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