Russian security authorities say they have issued an international arrest warrant for Telegram founder Pavel Durov and intend to place him on an international most-wanted list after accusing him of enabling terrorism.
The move was announced by Russia’s FSB, which alleges that Telegram was used by Ukrainian intelligence to recruit Russian citizens for cybercrimes and attacks inside Russia. The accusations, as presented by Russian authorities, focus in particular on the platform’s role in contacting young people and organizing alleged operations through bots and chat services.
FSB allegations and arrests
According to the FSB, Ukrainian operatives used Telegram tools, including bots and messaging functions, to attract recruits inside Russia. Russian officials specifically pointed to a dating chatbot known as “Daivinchik,” also referred to as Leo, as part of the alleged recruitment pipeline.
Investigators say 46 people between the ages of 12 and 22 were arrested over the past year in connection with the claimed network. The source article does not provide further details about the individual cases, charges, or evidence behind those arrests, and the allegations remain those of Russian authorities.
The warrant against Durov marks a significant escalation in Moscow’s long-running conflict with Telegram, a platform that has often been difficult for governments to control because of its privacy-focused design and broad international user base.
Telegram’s position
After news of the warrant emerged, Telegram’s X account posted a picture of Durov. The company’s fuller public response was not detailed in the source material, but Durov has previously said that Telegram complies with legitimate legal requests while refusing demands that, in his view, would violate user privacy or enable censorship.
That position has frequently put the company at odds with state authorities seeking greater access, tighter moderation, or direct cooperation in security-related cases. Telegram has presented itself as a neutral communications platform, but conflict settings have repeatedly tested that stance.
Platform’s role in the war
Telegram has become one of the central information channels in the Russia-Ukraine war. The app is used by Ukrainian government agencies, Russian military bloggers, ministries, journalists, civilians, aid groups, independent media, and researchers tracking intelligence and battlefield developments.
Reuters has described Telegram as a “virtual battlefield,” reflecting the way both sides use it to circulate military updates, drone footage, fundraising appeals, and emergency alerts. That central role has made the service more exposed to demands from authorities to remove content, disrupt recruitment, block intelligence-linked activity, and assist investigations.
Because moderation decisions in wartime can be interpreted as political, platforms like Telegram face pressure from multiple directions. Moves to remove channels or content may be seen by one side as necessary enforcement and by the other as censorship or abandonment of neutrality.
Previous clashes and market reaction
The latest accusations follow earlier confrontations between Telegram and governments. In 2018, Russia tried to ban the service after Durov refused to provide encryption-related assistance. Outside Russia, Durov has also been under judicial scrutiny in France since 2024 over allegations that Telegram did not do enough to address criminal activity on the platform.
The news also had a limited market impact. GRAM, the native cryptocurrency of TON, described in the source article as Telegram’s Layer-1 blockchain, fell by about 3% after the developments were reported.
The case adds to broader questions about how messaging platforms are treated when they become essential infrastructure in war and political conflict. In this instance, Russia’s allegations against Durov and Telegram remain central, while the source material provides no indication of any court finding on the claims.
Source: Coin Edition