Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activities and has issued an international warrant for his arrest. The agency announced the action on Wednesday. The charges focus on Telegram's alleged failure to remove content that Russian authorities claim supported terrorist activities and other criminal operations inside the country.

According to the FSB, the case relates to material that remained available on Telegram despite repeated concerns raised by Russian authorities. The agency said the platform failed to remove content "used by Ukrainian special services and by terrorist and extremist organisations to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass killings, and cyber-fraud operations within the Russian Federation." Russian officials claim this content posed a serious security threat and contributed to illegal activities.

Shortly after the announcement, Telegram's official account on X posted an image of Pavel Durov making an obscene gesture with his middle finger. The company did not release any further statement on the charges. Durov also did not issue an immediate public response following the announcement.

Telegram, an encrypted messaging platform launched in 2013, has grown into one of the world's largest messaging services. The company says the platform has more than one billion users worldwide. Telegram has played a major role during the Russia-Ukraine war and remains widely used by people on both sides of the conflict. Governments, journalists, military groups and civilians regularly use the platform to share updates and information.

Russia has made several attempts in recent years to limit Telegram's influence. The government has promoted its own state-backed messaging platform, MAX, as an alternative. Despite those efforts, Telegram continues to hold a strong position in Russia. Several state institutions, including the Kremlin and the Russian Defence Ministry, still use Telegram every day to publish official statements and updates.

Pavel Durov was born in Russia but no longer holds only Russian citizenship. He currently has Emirati and French passports. Before launching Telegram, Durov founded VKontakte, often described as Russia's equivalent of Facebook. He sold his remaining stake in the company in 2014 after facing pressure from Russian authorities. Since then, he has lived outside Russia and has continued to lead Telegram from abroad.

Durov also faces legal scrutiny in France. French authorities are investigating him over allegations that Telegram failed to take sufficient action against criminal activity on the platform. Investigators also claim the company did not adequately cooperate with requests from law enforcement agencies. Durov has denied all allegations and has maintained that he has done nothing wrong.

The latest action by Russian authorities follows earlier reports about a possible investigation. In February, an official Russian state newspaper reported that Durov was under investigation in a terrorism-related case. The report raised questions about possible legal action against the Telegram founder, although Russian authorities had not announced formal charges then.

In April, Durov revealed on Telegram that Russian authorities had delivered a legal summons addressed to "Suspect P.V. Durov" at an apartment where he had lived around 20 years earlier. He responded to the development with a message defending his position and referring to constitutional rights in Russia. He wrote, "They must be suspecting me of defending Articles 29 and 23 of the Russian Constitution — which guarantee freedom of speech and the right to private correspondence. Proud to be guilty!"

The exact location of Durov remains unclear. His recent social media posts have offered only limited clues about his travels. A post shared on his Telegram channel on May 16 suggested that he was in Dubai. Later, on July 23, he shared another message saying he was "very impressed with Georgia" and hoped to be "back very soon." He has not publicly confirmed his current location since then.

The international arrest warrant marks a significant escalation in Russia's legal action against the Telegram founder. The charges add to the growing legal pressure Durov faces in different countries over Telegram's content moderation policies and cooperation with authorities. So far, neither Durov nor Telegram has issued a detailed response to the latest accusations made by Russia. The case is likely to draw further international attention as developments continue.