Russia charges Telegram founder Durov with aiding terrorism over Crocus attack, military killings

2026-02-24 - 11:32

Russian state media reported Tuesday that Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov is under criminal investigation for allegedly aiding terrorist activities, based on Federal Security Service materials. Rossiyskaya Gazeta and Komsomolskaya Pravda published articles citing FSB data claiming that since 2022, more than 153,000 registered crimes were committed using the messaging app, including 33,000 of a sabotage-terrorist and extremist nature . Terror Attack and Assassination Allegations The reports specifically allege that the March 2024 terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in the Moscow Oblast was coordinated through Telegram . Authorities also claim the app was used to gather intelligence leading to the killings of pro-war figures Darya Dugina, Maxim Fomin, and nine high-ranking military officials including Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who was killed in a December 2024 bombing in Moscow . The FSB asserts it prevented 475 terrorist attacks prepared via Telegram, including 61 planned school shootings by teenagers . FSB Charges and Non-Compliance Allegations The investigation falls under Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code—"assistance to terrorist activity"—carrying potential sentences from eight years to life imprisonment . Russian authorities accuse Durov of refusing to provide encryption keys or remove illegal content despite over 150,000 requests from media regulator Roskomnadzor . The FSB claims NATO countries and Ukraine are using Telegram as a tool of "hybrid warfare" against Russia, calling it "the primary tool of the intelligence services of NATO countries and the 'Kyiv regime'" . Durov's Response and Escalating Crackdown Durov, who holds French and UAE citizenship and resides in Dubai, has not commented on the investigation . However, earlier this month he responded to Russian restrictions by stating: "Russia is restricting access to Telegram in an attempt to force its citizens to switch to a state-controlled app built for surveillance and political censorship" . Russia began limiting Telegram functionality in summer 2025, with Roskomnadzor intensifying "traffic degradation" to 55% in February 2026 . The crackdown follows Durov's 2024 arrest in France, where he faced charges related to Telegram's alleged complicity in organized crime before being permitted to leave in spring 2025 .