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[CRIME] · Russia, France · 82 sources

Pavel Durov placed on international wanted list by Russia over terrorism charges FAST-MOVING

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that Telegram founder Pavel Durov is charged with facilitating terrorist activity. The agency accuses Telegram of failing to remove channels, chats and bots that Ukrainian intelligence and extremist groups allegedly used to coordinate sabotage, terrorism, mass killings and cyber‑fraud inside Russia.

The FSB issued an international arrest warrant, adding Durov to its wanted list. If convicted, he faces up to life imprisonment. Durov, who holds French and United Arab Emirates passports and lives abroad, is also under a separate criminal investigation in France for alleged insufficient cooperation on Telegram’s content moderation. Russia continues to promote the state‑backed messenger MAX as an alternative and has repeatedly sought to restrict Telegram.

Entities: Federal Security Service (FSB) · France · France · French authorities · MAX messenger · Pavel Durov · Russian Federation · Russian Government · Telegram · Ukrainian intelligence services

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Ukrainian operatives used Telegram's dating service to recruit Russian men for terrorist activities. (Russian FSB)
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Since July 2025, Russian authorities have detained 46 young users of Telegram's dating service across 16 regions. (Russian FSB)
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that Pavel Durov is subject of an international manhunt. (Russian FSB)
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Telegram failed to remove channels, chats, and bots used by Ukrainian intelligence to coordinate terrorist attacks in Russia. (Russian FSB)
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Telegram failed to remove channels and bots used by Ukrainian intelligence to coordinate attacks that caused civilian casualties. (Russian authorities)
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] The FAB‑3000 bomb is delivered by Su‑34 bombers using hybrid inertial‑satellite guidance from dozens of kilometres away. (Rostec)
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] The Russian Federal Security Service placed Pavel Durov on an international wanted list for allegedly aiding terrorism. (FSB)
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Rostec announced that the FAB‑3000 heavy bomb with a glide kit can destroy fortified command bunkers. (Rostec)
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Since July 2025, Russian authorities have detained 46 users of Telegram's dating service linked to terrorist activities. (Russian authorities)
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Maria Zakharova warned that Europe cannot control the outflow of weapons from the Ukraine conflict. (Maria Zakharova)
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Italian chief prosecutor Maurizio de Lucia confirmed mafia interest in buying sophisticated drones. (Maurizio de Lucia)
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] The Italian mafia is seeking to purchase Ukrainian drones on the black market. (Italian prosecutors)

Sources

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