MOSCOW — Russia said on Wednesday it had charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activity, alleging that his hugely popular messaging app was being used by Ukrainian spies to organize attacks inside Russia.

In response, Telegram’s official account on X posted an image of the Russian-born billionaire making an obscene gesture with his middle finger.

The charges, announced by the Federal Security Service (FSB), marked the culmination of a long investigation against Dubai-based Durov and Telegram.

Moscow has effectively throttled the service as part of a wider campaign to cut off access to foreign tech platforms and tighten control over the internet.

Russians can only access Telegram now by using a VPN to encrypt traffic and conceal their location. Yet state bodies including the Kremlin and the defense ministry continue to post to it on a daily basis.

The app has been described as a “virtual battlefield” in the war between Russia and Ukraine, where it is used by officials, soldiers and influential bloggers on both sides.

pic.twitter.com/7LEvOWAI3L — Telegram Messenger (@telegram) July 29, 2026

pic.twitter.com/7LEvOWAI3L

— Telegram Messenger (@telegram) July 29, 2026

In statements, the FSB and the state Investigative Committee said a chatbot available on Telegram called “Daivinchik/Leo” had been used by Ukrainian special services to recruit young Russians to carry out sabotage and terrorist operations.

Daivinchik/Leo is a popular dating chatbot in Russia, where Tinder is no longer........

© The Times of Israel