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Binance provided Russian authorities with user data used in terrorism financing case
Documents reviewed by Reuters reveal that Binance provided Russian authorities with personal and transaction data belonging to Yuri Belenkiy, a 49-year-old IT specialist. This information was used as evidence in a terrorism financing case brought by Russia’s Investigative Committee. The authorities allege that Belenkiy, who holds a Bulgarian residency permit, transferred over $700 in cryptocurrency to the Ukrainian military and the Azov Brigade between January 2023 and March 2024.
The disclosure has raised questions regarding Binance’s compliance and data privacy, as the exchange had announced a full exit from the Russian market in September 2023 by selling its business to CommEX. While Binance stated it cooperates with lawful information requests globally, legal experts suggest the exchange may have had an obligation under European Union data protection laws not to provide the data after exiting the region. The provided records reportedly included Belenkiy’s date of birth, address, phone number, passport number, and copies of his Russian passport and Bulgarian residence permit.
Entities
Azov Brigade · Binance · CommEX · Russia's Investigative Committee · Russia’s Investigative Committee · Yuri Belenkiy
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 10 SOURCES] Binance cooperates with lawful information requests from law enforcement globally according to legal and regulatory requirements. koinbulteni.com · wdez.com · jack1065.com · kelo.com · www.dunya.com · +5 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The data provided to Russian authorities included Yuri Belenkiy’s date of birth, address, phone number, passport number, and copies of his Russian passport and Bulgarian residence permit. koinbulteni.com · www.dunya.com · www.kyivpost.com · www.ibtimes.com
- [● 11 SOURCES] IT specialist Yuri Belenkiy was detained in September 2025 on terrorism financing charges. koinbulteni.com · wdez.com · jack1065.com · kelo.com · www.dunya.com · +6 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] Binance’s website continued to provide an email address for Russian and Belarusian law enforcement to contact them. koinbulteni.com · bitcoinethereumnews.com · www.coinspeaker.com · www.dunya.com
- [● 6 SOURCES] Legal expert Mike Bystrov stated that Binance may have had an obligation under EU data protection law not to provide the data after exiting Russia. wdez.com · jack1065.com · kelo.com · kfgo.com · www.realtid.se · +1 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] Binance announced it had fully exited the Russian market in September 2023 by selling its business to CommEX. koinbulteni.com · wdez.com · jack1065.com · kelo.com · www.dunya.com · +4 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] Binance provided Russian authorities with personal details and transaction records of a client. koinbulteni.com · wdez.com · jack1065.com · kelo.com · www.dunya.com · +8 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] Yuri Belenkiy transferred over $700 to the Ukrainian military and the Azov Brigade between January 2023 and March 2024. koinbulteni.com · wdez.com · jack1065.com · kelo.com · www.dunya.com · +6 more