Russian security services have officially placed Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov on an international wanted list. According to reports from TASS and France24, the Federal Security Service (FSB) alleges that Durov is complicit in terrorist activities. Specifically, Russian officials claim that Telegram has failed to remove channels, chats, and bots that they assert are being utilized by Ukrainian operatives to coordinate sabotage missions within Russian territory.

Durov, who holds citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates and has lived in self-imposed exile from Russia for several years, has denied these accusations. As reported by Euronews, Durov characterizes the legal action as politically motivated. There is a clear divide in how the situation is being framed: state-aligned media focuses on the specific security allegations regarding sabotage, while international outlets emphasize the broader context of the Kremlin’s history of using terrorism and extremism charges to target political opponents.

While all sources confirm the existence of the warrant and the nature of the charges, they differ significantly in their assessment of the underlying intent. The Russian state-run outlet TASS presents the charges as a straightforward criminal matter, whereas Euronews and France24 provide context regarding Durov's international status and the potential geopolitical motivations behind the Kremlin's move.