Pavel Durov, Telegram, terrorism charges and Russia’s push for control

Moscow: Russia has escalated its long-running confrontation with Telegram by charging its founder, Pavel Durov, with aiding terrorist activities and placing him on an international wanted list.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has accused Durov of violating Article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code, alleging that Telegram repeatedly failed to remove channels, group chats and bots that were allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies and extremist organisations to coordinate sabotage, terrorist attacks and cyber operations inside Russia. The offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment under Russian law.

A key part of the case centres on Daivinchik, a popular Telegram dating chatbot. According to the FSB, Ukrainian operatives allegedly used fake profiles posing as young women to recruit Russian teenagers and young adults to carry out arson attacks and other acts targeting infrastructure. Russian authorities claim more than 40 people have been detained in connection with the alleged recruitment network.

Durov and Telegram have responded defiantly to the charges. Shortly after the FSB’s announcement, Telegram’s official account on X shared an image of Durov making an obscene gesture towards the camera, signalling the company’s rejection of the accusations.

Earlier, when Russian authorities first opened a criminal investigation against him, Durov dismissed the proceedings, arguing that officials had sent legal notices to an apartment he had left two decades ago. He also suggested the case reflected his long-standing support for freedom of expression and the right to private communications under Russia’s Constitution.

The latest action marks another chapter in the years-long battle between the Kremlin and Telegram. Russian authorities have repeatedly attempted to restrict or slow access to the messaging platform while encouraging users to migrate to domestic alternatives, including the state-backed messaging app MAX.

Despite those efforts, Telegram remains one of the most widely used communication platforms throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It is relied upon by civilians, independent journalists, military bloggers and government agencies on both sides for news dissemination, official updates and battlefield information.

Durov has been at odds with Russian authorities for more than a decade. He left Russia in 2014 after refusing to hand over user data from his previous social networking company, VKontakte, to security agencies. Now based in Dubai and holding French and UAE citizenship, Durov has continued to position Telegram as a platform built around encryption, privacy and free expression, even as governments around the world have increased scrutiny of its content moderation practices