Russian authorities have charged Telegram founder and Chief Executive Officer Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism and placed him on an international wanted list, the country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on Wednesday.

The charges mark a significant escalation in the Kremlin’s campaign to tighten control over the internet and digital communications, particularly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In a statement, the FSB accused Telegram of failing to remove “numerous channels, chats and bots” that it claims were used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, as well as terrorist and extremist organizations, to coordinate acts of sabotage, terrorism, cyber fraud and other criminal activities inside Russia.

According to the agency, the alleged online activities resulted in multiple casualties and posed a serious threat to national security.

The FSB also claimed that Ukrainian security services used a popular dating chatbot on Telegram to recruit Russian citizens for what it described as sabotage and terrorist operations.

Russian authorities said 46 users of the chatbot, aged between 12 and 22, have been detained across the country since July 2025 on accusations including attacks on law enforcement officers, arson and other offenses.

Durov, who was born in Russia but later left the country and built Telegram into one of the world’s largest messaging platforms, has previously rejected accusations from Russian authorities.

Earlier this year, he disclosed that a criminal investigation had been opened against him and accused the Russian government of manufacturing legal justifications to restrict access to Telegram.

Durov argued that the measures were part of a broader effort by the Kremlin to undermine privacy rights and limit freedom of expression on digital platforms.

Telegram remains one of the most widely used messaging applications in Russia despite increasing government efforts to regulate online content and strengthen state oversight of internet services.

The latest charges are expected to intensify scrutiny of the relationship between governments and technology platforms, particularly over issues involving encryption, online privacy and the moderation of digital content.