State publication Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported Tuesday that Russia’s Federal Security Service had initiated proceedings against Pavel Durov, the co-founder and chief executive of Telegram, over alleged facilitation of terrorist activities. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the reports were based on materials provided by the security services. Telegram had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of publication.
#BREAKING ‼️‼️🇷🇺 Russia’s FSB launches criminal investigation into Founder and CEO of social media messenger Telegram, Pavel Durov, under charges of ‘aiding terrorism’ in Russia. pic.twitter.com/uMeehZHdgH
— The threat of missiles and drones (@StatWatch25) February 24, 2026
Mounting pressure over content moderation
The investigation follows months of regulatory friction between Telegram and Russia’s communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, which tightened restrictions on the platform in early February.
Authorities have accused Telegram of refusing to remove what they describe as extremist and illegal content. State-linked outlet Komsomolskaya Pravda reported that nearly 155,000 flagged channels, chats and bots remain accessible inside Russia.
According to those figures, more than 104,000 channels allegedly contain false information, over 10,000 promote extremism, while thousands more are tied to extremist justification or drug-related activity.
Former Kremlin internet adviser German Klimenko warned that the probe could result in Telegram itself being designated an extremist organization, a move that could potentially criminalize Telegram Premium subscriptions and advertising payments on the platform.
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Durov pushes back, cites state competition
Durov has framed the pressure as politically motivated, suggesting it is intended to push Russian users toward MAX, a new state-backed messaging service. He has argued that similar attempts in countries such as Iran failed to displace Telegram’s user base.
“Restricting citizens’ freedom is never the right answer,”
Durov wrote on his Telegram channel earlier this month, reiterating the platform’s stance on privacy and free expression.
The Russian probe adds to Durov’s legal challenges abroad. He remains under scrutiny in France following his arrest there in August 2024. French authorities lifted his travel restrictions in November 2025, though the broader inquiry remains ongoing.
What happens next?
Russia may attempt to enforce the international wanted designation against Durov, and it remains to be seen whether other countries would cooperate with such an effort.
There is also the question of what happens to Telegram as pressure on the company increases.
The case has moved from a relatively criminal investigation disclosed in February to a formal terrorism-related charge and international wanted status just months later. The dispute could become another major test of how far a global messaging platform can maintain its privacy-focused model while governments demand greater control over illegal activity on the service.
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