Telegram Founder Charged With Terrorism by Russia

Sun Sep 06 2026 09:40:56 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Russian security forces have linked Telegram’s creator to alleged Ukrainian sabotage plans and issued an international arrest warrant.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has opened an international warrant for Pavel Durov, claiming the messaging app helped Ukrainians coordinate acts of sabotage inside Russian borders. Durov, who fled Russia in 2014 after refusing to shut down opposition communities, now holds French and UAE passports. Despite Telegram's claims of prioritizing user privacy, the app faces criticism for weak moderation and has become a focal point in Russia’s tightening internet freedom crackdown.

Telegram’s founder charged with terrorism by Russia

Russia’s FSB has opened an international arrest warrant for Pavel Durov, saying the messenger app was used to plan terror attacks.

The security service claims Telegram helped Ukrainian agents coordinate sabotage inside Russian territory, and the platform failed to delete prohibited channels, chats and bots.

Durov, 41, left Russia in 2014 after refusing orders to shut down opposition groups on the site, and now holds French and UAE passports.

Telegram, with roughly 950 million users worldwide, has positioned itself as a privacy‑first app, yet it has faced criticism for weak moderation.

In France, where he was investigated in 2024, Durov was released after a formal inquiry continued.

The charges come as Russia tightens its clamp on internet freedom, while Telegram remains popular in both Russia and Ukraine.