Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has charged Pavel Durov, the founder and owner of Telegram, with aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list. The move comes as Russian authorities tighten restrictions on the messaging app, part of a broader, long-running Kremlin campaign to control the internet that has intensified since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

The FSB accuses Telegram's administration of failing to remove channels, chats and bots allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence and extremist groups to coordinate sabotage, killings and cyberfraud, and says a dating chatbot on the platform was used to recruit young Russians for sabotage, resulting in 46 arrests since July 2025. Durov, who was born in Russia but now holds French and Emirati citizenship and lives in Dubai, could face life imprisonment if convicted; he has previously accused Russian authorities of fabricating charges to suppress privacy and free speech. Russia has already banned or restricted platforms including Facebook, Instagram, X, Signal and Viber, while promoting its own state-linked "MAX" messaging app.