Financial and Business News

Moscow Pursues Telegram Founder Pavel Durov in High-Stakes Criminal Probe: Report

Tuesday, 24/02/2026 | 14:23 GMT by Jared Kirui
  • Russia is pushing users toward Max, a state-backed messaging app.
  • France placed Durov under formal investigation in 2024 over alleged criminal activity on Telegram.
Pavel Durov, the Founder and CEO of Telegram
Pavel Durov, the Founder and CEO of Telegram

Russia has launched a criminal investigation into Telegram founder Pavel Durov for allegedly “abetting terrorist activities”, sharpening its confrontation with the popular messaging app and its billionaire creator.

According to state-linked media, there are fresh restrictions on Telegram’s services in Russia and an official push to move users to a state-backed alternative.

Russia Opens Terror Case Against Durov

Two newspapers with close ties to the Kremlin, Rossiiskaya Gazeta and Komsomolskaya Pravda, reported that Russia’s FSB security service is investigating Durov in connection with terrorism-related offences. The articles, citing FSB materials, allege that Telegram has become a tool for western and Ukrainian intelligence services.

According to these reports, Russian authorities claim that Telegram was used in 13 alleged Ukrainian attempts to assassinate senior Russian military officers. They also link the app to tens of thousands of other incidents since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, including bombings, arson attacks on military recruitment centers and murders.

The reports further accuse Telegram of cooperating with western government requests while ignoring Russian demands and say Ukraine allegedly used Telegram data for attacks on Russia.

Related: Telegram’s Global Ambitions Hit a Wall as $500 Million in Bonds Freeze in Russia

The investigation comes as Russia tightens controls on internet platforms. Authorities have restricted some Telegram functions, citing the company’s refusal to store user data on Russian territory and to remove content on demand. Regulators have also limited voice and video calls on Telegram and introduced measures that slow its traffic.

At the same time, Moscow is promoting Max, a state-run messaging app presented as a domestic alternative. Officials appear to be steering users toward Max as they increase pressure on Telegram, which has more than 105 million monthly users in Russia, according to the Financial Times.

Probe in France deepens pressure on Durov

French authorities placed Pavel Durov under formal investigation in 2024 after arresting him on suspicion that Telegram failed to prevent and assist in tackling serious criminal activity on the platform, including drug trafficking, fraud and other organised crime offences.

Judges indicted him on multiple counts such as complicity in managing an online platform that enables illicit transactions and refusal to cooperate with lawful interception requests, then released him under judicial supervision with conditions that included a 5 million euro bond, twice-weekly reporting to police and a ban on leaving France.

The case did not close but his restrictions gradually eased: in 2025 an investigating judge allowed him to leave France temporarily, and by November 2025 authorities lifted his travel ban entirely and removed the obligation to report regularly to police.

Besides that, regulated forex brokers in Russia stopped providing customer support through Telegram after a new federal law last year. The laws banned financial institutions and government bodies from using foreign messaging platforms for communication.

Russia has launched a criminal investigation into Telegram founder Pavel Durov for allegedly “abetting terrorist activities”, sharpening its confrontation with the popular messaging app and its billionaire creator.

According to state-linked media, there are fresh restrictions on Telegram’s services in Russia and an official push to move users to a state-backed alternative.

Russia Opens Terror Case Against Durov

Two newspapers with close ties to the Kremlin, Rossiiskaya Gazeta and Komsomolskaya Pravda, reported that Russia’s FSB security service is investigating Durov in connection with terrorism-related offences. The articles, citing FSB materials, allege that Telegram has become a tool for western and Ukrainian intelligence services.

According to these reports, Russian authorities claim that Telegram was used in 13 alleged Ukrainian attempts to assassinate senior Russian military officers. They also link the app to tens of thousands of other incidents since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, including bombings, arson attacks on military recruitment centers and murders.

The reports further accuse Telegram of cooperating with western government requests while ignoring Russian demands and say Ukraine allegedly used Telegram data for attacks on Russia.

Related: Telegram’s Global Ambitions Hit a Wall as $500 Million in Bonds Freeze in Russia

The investigation comes as Russia tightens controls on internet platforms. Authorities have restricted some Telegram functions, citing the company’s refusal to store user data on Russian territory and to remove content on demand. Regulators have also limited voice and video calls on Telegram and introduced measures that slow its traffic.

At the same time, Moscow is promoting Max, a state-run messaging app presented as a domestic alternative. Officials appear to be steering users toward Max as they increase pressure on Telegram, which has more than 105 million monthly users in Russia, according to the Financial Times.

Probe in France deepens pressure on Durov

French authorities placed Pavel Durov under formal investigation in 2024 after arresting him on suspicion that Telegram failed to prevent and assist in tackling serious criminal activity on the platform, including drug trafficking, fraud and other organised crime offences.

Judges indicted him on multiple counts such as complicity in managing an online platform that enables illicit transactions and refusal to cooperate with lawful interception requests, then released him under judicial supervision with conditions that included a 5 million euro bond, twice-weekly reporting to police and a ban on leaving France.

The case did not close but his restrictions gradually eased: in 2025 an investigating judge allowed him to leave France temporarily, and by November 2025 authorities lifted his travel ban entirely and removed the obligation to report regularly to police.

Besides that, regulated forex brokers in Russia stopped providing customer support through Telegram after a new federal law last year. The laws banned financial institutions and government bodies from using foreign messaging platforms for communication.

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About the Author: Jared Kirui
Jared Kirui
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Jared is an experienced financial journalist passionate about all things forex and CFDs.

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