Moscow. Russia said on Wednesday it had charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activity, alleging that his messaging platform was being used by Ukrainian intelligence services to organise attacks inside Russia.
In response, Telegram's official account on X posted an image of the Russian-born billionaire making an obscene gesture with his middle finger.
The charges, announced by the Federal Security Service (FSB), mark the latest stage in a long-running investigation into Dubai-based Durov and Telegram.
Moscow has effectively restricted access to the platform as part of a broader campaign to curb foreign technology platforms and tighten control over the internet.
Russians can now access Telegram only by using a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt internet traffic and conceal their location. Despite the restrictions, state institutions, including the Kremlin and the Defence Ministry, continue to use the platform daily.
Telegram has been described as a "virtual battlefield" in the war between Russia and Ukraine, serving as a key communication platform for officials, soldiers and influential military bloggers on both sides.
In separate statements, the FSB and the Investigative Committee said a chatbot on Telegram known as Daivinchik/Leo had been used by Ukrainian intelligence services to recruit young Russians to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks.
Daivinchik/Leo is a popular dating chatbot in Russia, where Tinder is no longer available. According to the authorities, Ukrainian operatives posing as young women used the chatbot to contact and manipulate Russians before coercing them into committing crimes.
The FSB said 46 Russians aged between 12 and 22 had been arrested over the past year after allegedly being recruited through the chatbot to attack law enforcement officers or set fire to transport, energy, communications and financial infrastructure.
Ukraine did not immediately comment on the allegations.
The FSB said Durov would be placed on an international wanted list but did not specify how this would be pursued.
Interpol did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A source familiar with the matter said that even if Russia sought an Interpol Red Notice, the process was unlikely to move quickly.
Dubai, where Durov is based, maintains friendly relations with Moscow and has expanded cooperation in energy, business and finance. However, extraditing him to Russia could undermine the emirate's reputation as a global hub for business and technology.
Durov said last week that he was in Georgia, but his current whereabouts remain unclear.
Born in Russia, he now holds Emirati and French citizenship. He founded VKontakte, Russia's largest social networking platform, before selling his remaining stake in 2014 amid pressure from Russian authorities.
In 2024, Durov was arrested in France over allegations that Telegram had failed to curb criminal activity on the platform and had not cooperated sufficiently with law enforcement requests. He was later allowed to leave the country while the investigation continued.
Durov has denied any wrongdoing, saying Telegram has gone beyond its legal obligations to moderate content and cooperate with authorities in combating crime.
A Russian state newspaper reported in February that Durov was under investigation in a terrorism-related case. In April, he said on Telegram that a summons for "Suspect P.V. Durov" had been delivered to an apartment in Russia where he had lived two decades earlier.
"They must be suspecting me of defending Articles 29 and 23 of the Russian Constitution, which guarantee freedom of speech and the right to private correspondence. Proud to be guilty!" he wrote.
