Factor — Russian authorities have officially charged Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activities. The Federal Security Service (FSB) reports that the administration of the popular messenger persistently refuses to remove channels and bots actively used in Russia to coordinate terrorist attacks and various acts of sabotage.
Law enforcement officials have announced that an international search warrant has been issued for Durov. According to the Russian FSB, channels on the platform related to mass killings and cyber fraud have led to numerous casualties, including among minors, and have caused billions of dollars in material damage. The criminal case initiated against Pavel Durov falls under Article 205.1, Part 1.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
In parallel, the Investigative Committee has provided details regarding the activities of Ukrainian special services, which are reportedly using the "Daivinchik/Leo" chatbot to recruit underage Russians for acts of sabotage. In this regard, new criminal cases have been launched, including serious charges of terrorism, sabotage, and the involvement of minors in criminal activities.
Back in February 2026, Durov himself had already announced that criminal proceedings had been initiated against him. He described these moves as yet another attempt by the authorities to restrict Telegram's accessibility for Russian users, which he characterized as a gross violation of freedom of speech and the right to privacy. It should be recalled that restrictions on Telegram in Russia have been in place since the summer of 2025, and the messenger is nearly impossible to use without VPN services. Although presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov spoke of possible contacts between the parties at the end of July, he emphasized that representatives of the messenger are demonstrating an overly passive stance toward resolving the issue.
