According to the FSB, Durov is accused of complicity in terrorist activities within the scope of a criminal case; the agency alleges that Telegram’s management failed to remove channels, chats, and bots used by Ukrainian special services to prepare acts of sabotage and terrorism on Russian soil, as well as mass killings and cybercrime activities.

The security agency maintains that these actions resulted in numerous casualties—including women and children—and caused material damage amounting to billions of rubles.

“Charges have been brought against the head of Telegram’s management, P. Durov, as part of a criminal investigation into an offense defined under Article 205.1, Section 1.1, of the Russian Criminal Code (complicity in terrorist activities), and he has been placed on an international wanted list,” the statement notes.

Telegram is an instant messaging service that allows for the exchange of messages and multimedia files in various formats.

The platform was created in 2013 by Russian programmer Pavel Durov and has since established itself as one of the world’s most popular messaging apps, boasting over one billion monthly active users.

In Russia, Telegram has repeatedly faced fines for refusing to monitor content published on the platform and for failing to remove information deemed prohibited by the authorities.

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