Russia Adds Telegram Founder Pavel Durov to Terrorist Blacklist

Russia has added Telegram founder Pavel Durov to its official list of terrorists and extremists. The blacklist is maintained by the financial watchdog Rosfinmonitoring, and reports indicate that his brother and co-developer Nikolai Durov was also included on the list. This action follows an international search launched by the Federal Security Service (FSB) on charges that Durov facilitated terrorist activity.

The FSB alleges that Ukrainian intelligence services used a popular dating chatbot on Telegram, known as Daivinchik or Leo, to recruit young Russians between the ages of 12 and 22 for sabotage and terrorist attacks. According to Russian officials, these recruits targeted law enforcement officers and infrastructure related to energy, communications, and finance. The FSB claims that at least 46 people were recruited through this method.

In response to the charges, Telegram posted an image on X showing Durov making an obscene gesture with his middle finger. Born in Saint Petersburg, the 41 year old billionaire holds French and United Arab Emirates passports and resides in Dubai, although he recently stated he had traveled to Georgia. He previously founded VKontakte before creating Telegram after clashes with Russian authorities over internet control.

Outlets of different political leans frame these events differently. Center-left sources emphasize the Russian government's desire to force users onto a state-controlled messenger called Max, which they describe as being designed for censorship. Center and center-right outlets focus more on the geopolitical tension between Russia and Ukraine, noting that Telegram has become a virtual battlefield where both sides communicate.

Despite efforts by Moscow to block the service or push users toward state alternatives, Telegram remains widely used in Russia, including by the Kremlin and the defense ministry. Additionally, Durov has faced legal challenges in France, where he was arrested in 2024 over allegations that the platform failed to adequately counter criminal activity.