Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced serious charges against Pavel Durov, the founder and owner of the popular messaging app Telegram. Durov has been accused of aiding terrorism and has been placed on an international wanted list. This development marks a critical moment in the ongoing struggle between the Russian government and digital communication platforms, particularly as Telegram remains one of the most widely used messaging services in Russia.
The charges come amid increasing restrictions on Telegram by the Russian authorities, part of a broader campaign to exert control over the internet following the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The FSB’s statement indicated that Telegram’s administration had failed to eliminate various channels, chats, and bots allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies and extremist organizations to coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism within Russia.
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The FSB specifically accused Ukrainian security services of utilizing a dating chatbot on Telegram to recruit Russian citizens for sabotage and terrorist activities. It reported that since July 2025, 46 users of this chatbot, aged between 12 and 22, have been detained for crimes including attacks on law enforcement and arson.
Earlier this year, Durov claimed that Russian authorities had initiated a criminal investigation against him, alleging that the charges were fabricated to justify access restrictions to Telegram. He described these actions as part of a broader effort to suppress privacy and free speech rights within the country.
If convicted, Durov could face a life sentence in Russia, highlighting the severe implications of the charges against him. Telegram has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the situation. According to its official website, the company operates out of Dubai, where Durov, who holds dual citizenship in the United Arab Emirates and France, also resides.
Under President Vladimir Putin’s administration, Russian authorities have intensified their efforts to regulate and control the internet. This has included enacting restrictive laws, banning non-compliant websites, and enhancing technologies to monitor online activity. Popular social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and X, have been banned in Russia, while others like YouTube face throttling. Messaging applications such as Signal and Viber have also been blocked, with WhatsApp and Telegram facing various restrictions.
Durov’s earlier venture, VK, a social media platform akin to Facebook, was established prior to the launch of Telegram. VK has since come under the control of companies aligned with the Kremlin. Notably, Russia attempted to block Telegram between 2018 and 2020 but ultimately failed to enforce the ban.
While some users still manage to bypass restrictions using virtual private networks (VPNs), many of these services are regularly blocked by authorities. Concurrently, the Russian government promotes a national messaging app called MAX, which critics argue could facilitate surveillance. MAX is positioned as a multifunctional platform for messaging, government services, and payments, but it has openly stated that it will share user data with authorities and lacks end-to-end encryption.
Durov has faced legal challenges beyond Russia’s borders as well. In 2024, he was arrested in Paris on allegations that Telegram was being misused for criminal activities, including drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse content. He returned to Dubai in March 2025 after spending several months in France.
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This story has been corrected to show the potential penalty is life in prison, not 15 years.
