Moscow, July 30 – Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has announced that it may seek an international arrest warrant for Telegram founder Pavel Durov, accusing him of failing to prevent the messaging platform from being used by Ukrainian intelligence services to recruit Russian citizens for alleged terrorist activities.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the FSB said the allegations stem from an investigation into a Telegram channel presented as a dating service. According to the agency, individuals linked to Ukrainian special services allegedly used fake profiles posing as women seeking romantic relationships to recruit young Russian users.
The FSB claimed that after persuading users to send small gifts or money, the recruiters allegedly posed as Russian law enforcement officials and accused the victims of inadvertently supporting Ukraine. The agency alleged that some individuals were then pressured into carrying out criminal acts, including arson attacks and acting as couriers in money laundering schemes.
Russian authorities accused Durov, as Telegram’s owner, of ignoring official complaints about the alleged illegal activities on the platform and failing to remove the channels involved. The FSB said it intends to place Durov on an international wanted list.
The security agency further claimed that at least 46 Russian citizens between the ages of 12 and 22 had been recruited through the investigated channel since July 2025. According to the FSB, adult suspects are facing charges including terrorism, sabotage, and assault on law enforcement officers.
The FSB also alleged that Russia’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, had previously identified the dating channel in 2025 for allegedly containing child sexual abuse material and content prohibited under Russian law but claimed it remained accessible.
Telegram and Pavel Durov had not publicly responded to the latest allegations at the time of reporting.
Durov has previously rejected similar accusations made by French authorities, who alleged that Telegram had facilitated criminal activity. He has argued that platform operators should not be held personally liable for crimes committed by users and has accused Western governments of attempting to pressure Telegram into restricting politically sensitive content.
The allegations made by the FSB have not been independently verified.
