Telegram founder Pavel Durov internationally wanted, Russia’s FSB says

cointelegraphPublished on 2026-07-29Last updated on 2026-07-29

Abstract

Russian authorities have placed Telegram founder Pavel Durov on an international wanted list, escalating a criminal case. The Federal Security Service (FSB) charged him with facilitating terrorist activity for allegedly failing to remove channels and bots used by Ukrainian intelligence, terrorist groups, and extremists to coordinate attacks and recruit operatives. Durov, who confirmed an earlier case in February, accused Russia of using investigations to pressure Telegram and restrict access. Separately, he faces an ongoing criminal probe in France over alleged illegal activity on the platform, though travel restrictions there have been lifted.

Russian authorities have placed Telegram founder Pavel Durov on an international wanted list as they escalate a criminal case accusing him of facilitating terrorist activity.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Wednesday that it had charged Durov with facilitating terrorist activity and issued an international warrant for his arrest, local news agency Interfax reported.

The FSB alleged that Telegram failed to remove channels, chats and bots that Ukrainian intelligence services, terrorist groups and extremist organizations used to coordinate attacks, recruit operatives and conduct cyber fraud.

The development follows reports in February that Russian authorities had opened a criminal case against Durov. At the time, Durov confirmed the case in a post on X and accused Russian authorities of using the investigation to pressure Telegram, writing: “Each day, the authorities fabricate new pretexts to restrict Russians’ access to Telegram as they seek to suppress the right to privacy and free speech.”

Separately, Durov still faces an ongoing criminal investigation in France over alleged illegal activity on Telegram, although French authorities lifted travel restrictions earlier this year, allowing him to leave the country.

Related: Pavel Durov says Telegram to roll out native Gram crypto wallet

Related Questions

QWhat are the specific allegations against Pavel Durov made by Russia's FSB?

ARussia's FSB alleges that Pavel Durov facilitated terrorist activity. Specifically, they accuse Telegram of failing to remove channels, chats, and bots that were used by Ukrainian intelligence services, terrorist groups, and extremist organizations to coordinate attacks, recruit operatives, and conduct cyber fraud.

QWhat action did the FSB take regarding Pavel Durov's case according to the article?

ARussia's Federal Security Service (FSB) charged Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activity and issued an international warrant for his arrest, placing him on an international wanted list.

QWhat was Pavel Durov's response to the initial criminal case opened against him by Russian authorities in February?

AIn a post on X, Pavel Durov accused Russian authorities of using the investigation to pressure Telegram. He stated that authorities were fabricating new pretexts each day to restrict Russians' access to Telegram in an attempt to suppress the right to privacy and free speech.

QBesides Russia, which other country is mentioned as having a criminal investigation involving Pavel Durov and Telegram?

APavel Durov also faces an ongoing criminal investigation in France over alleged illegal activity on Telegram, although French authorities lifted travel restrictions earlier this year.

QWhat related topic involving Telegram was mentioned at the end of the article?

AThe article mentions a related topic: "Pavel Durov says Telegram to roll out native Gram crypto wallet."

Related Reads

Core Scientific Writes Off $41.9 Million to Accelerate Exit from Bitcoin Mining

Core Scientific reported a $41.9 million payment to terminate a contract with Block and its subsidiary Proto for the supply of Bitcoin mining chips. This move finalizes its exit from plans to grow its hash rate, shifting its business model entirely towards AI colocation. The agreement, announced in July 2024, was for 3nm chips providing roughly 15 EH/s of hash rate. Following the cancellation, Core Scientific stated it will no longer invest in new mining hardware to maintain or expand its cryptocurrency mining capacity. Instead, it will generate cash flow from its existing mining fleet while repurposing its data centers, potentially selling or decommissioning ASIC miners. In Q2 2026, revenue from AI colocation surged to $136.7 million from $10.6 million a year earlier, representing 83% of total revenue. In contrast, its own Bitcoin mining revenue fell 66% to $21.5 million. Quarterly Bitcoin production dropped 53% year-over-year. AI colocation capacity reached 437 MW by mid-July 2026, with CoreWeave accounting for all current hosting revenue and approximately 77% of Core Scientific's total revenue in H1 2026. The company also announced a partnership with AMD for up to 2.5 GW of potential data center capacity, with initial 15-year agreements for about 530 MW estimated to bring in over $14 billion in contract revenue. Total Q2 revenue grew to $164.2 million, while capital expenditures jumped to $797.5 million. As of June 30, 2026, the company reported long-term debt of $4.3 billion and free liquidity of $1.82 billion. The shift aligns with a broader industry trend of major Bitcoin miners accelerating a pivot to AI amid pressure on Bitcoin mining profitability.

cryptonews.ru17m ago

Core Scientific Writes Off $41.9 Million to Accelerate Exit from Bitcoin Mining

cryptonews.ru17m ago

The 100x obsession: Fundamentals grow in importance as crypto matures

The article explores why crypto investors often chase high-risk narratives for "100x returns" over established fundamentals, arguing this behavior stems from a deep human desire for life-changing wealth, not simply maximizing returns. Citing behavioral finance expert Meir Statman, it explains investors mentally divide wealth into a "not-poor" layer for security and a "be-rich" layer for transformative goals. This drives them toward speculative assets like meme coins, despite mature protocols like Aave generating real revenue. While fundamentals like liquidity and resilience determine long-term value, compelling stories offer the lottery-ticket appeal institutional investors, bound by risk-adjusted mandates, avoid. The piece concludes that the hunt for massive gains is a constant, driven by aspirations more than asset class specifics.

cointelegraph22m ago

The 100x obsession: Fundamentals grow in importance as crypto matures

cointelegraph22m ago

Unexpected Interest Rate Forecast from $67 Billion Asset Management Firm Citadel! Is Bitcoin Under Threat?

As markets await the Federal Reserve's rate decision, views are diverging. While most analysts expect rates to hold steady, Citadel Securities, a $67 billion asset manager, predicts the Fed could surprise with a 25 basis point hike. According to CME's FedWatchTool, the market currently sees a 68.5% chance of no change and a 31.5% chance of an increase. Citadel's Head of Macro Strategy, Frank Flight, told CoinDesk that Fed Chair Kevin Warsh might raise rates unexpectedly at this meeting to reinforce the central bank's commitment to fighting inflation. Flight argues such a move would mark a shift from the Fed's long-standing practice of signaling policy changes in advance, thereby strengthening its perceived independence and credibility on inflation. He contends a hike this week would have a stronger impact than waiting until September. An unexpected increase could boost confidence in the Fed's inflation fight, influence corporate pricing and wage expectations, and potentially avert the need for more aggressive tightening later. Flight noted that such a surprise hike could apply short-term pressure to risk assets, including Bitcoin, if it leads to higher Treasury yields. (Disclaimer: This is not investment advice.)

cryptonews.ru47m ago

Unexpected Interest Rate Forecast from $67 Billion Asset Management Firm Citadel! Is Bitcoin Under Threat?

cryptonews.ru47m ago

Trade.xyz to cover SK Hynix perp liquidation losses tied to price anomaly

Trade.xyz, operator of onchain perpetual markets on Hyperliquid, will cover eligible trader losses from a liquidation event caused by a price anomaly in its SK Hynix perpetual contract. The mark price for the contract, which tracks the South Korean chipmaker, fell sharply from $1,127.90 to $917.25 after an executed trade on an external market was relayed by data providers. The platform stated its oracle functioned as designed but called the reimbursement a "one-time discretionary decision." It is reviewing how prices are formed during extreme events and considering giving more weight to its own order books. The SK Hynix contract is one of Hyperliquid's most active markets, with over $1.5 billion in recent 24-hour volume. Trade.xyz did not disclose the total reimbursement amount or number of eligible traders.

cointelegraph51m ago

Trade.xyz to cover SK Hynix perp liquidation losses tied to price anomaly

cointelegraph51m ago

Cardano Price Forecast: 800% Upside or Another Step Down – Which Analyst Is Right About ADA?

Cardano (ADA) is trading at $0.1643 on July 29th, rebounding from a fair value gap (FVG) around $0.1450-$0.1515 after a 6.27% drop. Key resistance levels are the 20-day EMA at $0.1654 and the 50-day EMA at $0.1737. Support levels include $0.1563 and $0.1513. Analyst Cheeky Crypto argues current prices are a generational buying opportunity, citing whale accumulation during June's market drop and Cardano's fundamentals like zero fees for failed transactions. He sees an 800% upside potential to previous highs. Conversely, analyst LuckSide Crypto attributes recent price weakness to geopolitical tensions (Iran rejecting a ceasefire) and a US Senate delay of the CLARITY Act, which is stalling crypto ETF approvals, including Grayscale's spot ADA ETF. On-chain data shows Cardano's stablecoin supply has tripled to over $55 million in a year. A new partnership with Reef Data for payment streams was also announced. The price forecast outlines two scenarios: 1) Bullish: ADA holds the FVG, reclaims key EMAs, and benefits from positive regulatory momentum. 2) Bearish: The FVG rebound fails due to heightened geopolitical risk and prolonged regulatory delays, pushing ADA towards lower support levels around $0.1563-$0.1513.

cryptonews.ru52m ago

Cardano Price Forecast: 800% Upside or Another Step Down – Which Analyst Is Right About ADA?

cryptonews.ru52m ago

Trading

Spot
活动图片

Hot Categoriesright-arrow

Hot Tagsright-arrow