Pavel Durov – Screengrab Social Media/Telegram

Telegram’s official X account has posted a picture of Durov ‘giving the middle finger’.

The founder and owner of the messaging/social media app Telegram, Pavel Durov, saw his judicial situation become more complicated today (29).

Besides his ongoing case in France – where he faces criminal prosecution for 12 counts, including complicity in drug trafficking and child sexual exploitation – now Durov is ‘wanted’ in his native Russia.

Russia’s main domestic security agency, the FSB, announced that Durov has been charged with aiding terrorism and put on an international wanted list.

pic.twitter.com/7LEvOWAI3L

— Telegram Messenger (@telegram) July 29, 2026

CBS News reported:

“The charges against Durov, who was born and began his career in Russia but later moved abroad, came as the Russian authorities restrict Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps in the country.

[…] Soon after the charges were announced, Telegram’s official account on X posted an image of Durov making an obscene gesture with his middle finger. There was no other immediate comment from Durov or Telegram.”

Russia has declared Telegram founder Pavel Durov wanted internationally on charges of assisting terrorist activity.

The reason was the refusal of Telegram’s administration to delete a number of channels, chats, and bots at the request of the FSB.

Russian special services… pic.twitter.com/e6dZat0K4s

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) July 29, 2026

“The Federal Security Service, also known as the FSB, accused Telegram’s administration in a statement of failing to remove ‘numerous channels, chats and bots’ that are ‘actively used by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist, and extremist organizations to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass murder, and cyberfraud’ in Russia, which resulted in ‘numerous human casualties’.”

🇷🇺 Russia just put the Telegram founder on an international most-wanted list.

The FSB charged Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism and issued a warrant for his arrest, accusing him of letting Ukrainian intelligence use the app to coordinate attacks inside Russia.

Durov, who lives… pic.twitter.com/w0jGhaxTFh

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 29, 2026

Reuters reported:

“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.”

Telegram’s TikTok account:

Meanwhile, this video appeared on Telegram’s official TikTok account around three hours before Russia’s FSB announced terrorism charges against founder Pavel Durov. https://t.co/tf4xJO5n6I pic.twitter.com/SunjRfbEIM

— Brian McDonald (@BrianMcDonaldIE) July 29, 2026

Read more from February:

Russia Is Investigating Telegram Founder Pavel Durov in Terrorism-Related Probe