Russia’s FSB Says It Detained 46 Users of a Telegram Dating Bot Recruited by Ukraine, But Evidence Shows Chats on a Different Platform
The FSB claims to have detained 46 young Russians aged 12–22 for allegedly being recruited by Ukrainian intelligence via the Leonardo Daivinchik Telegram bot. However, videos released as proof show conversations on VK Messenger, not Telegram, leading to criminal charges against Telegram founder Pavel Durov.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced on July 29 that it had detained 46 users of the popular Telegram dating bot Leonardo Daivinchik across 16 regions since July 2025. According to the agency, these young people were recruited by Ukrainian intelligence through fake profiles to attack police, commit arson, and funnel money to Ukraine.
As evidence, the FSB released videos showing the detainees’ chats — but the interface clearly belongs to VK Messenger, a Russian social network, not Telegram. Despite this, the security service charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorism under Article 205.1 of the Criminal Code. The next day, Rosfinmonitoring added Durov to its list of terrorists and extremists.
The Leonardo Daivinchik bot, launched in 2018, now has over 13.6 million monthly users. It does not verify user ages, and its owners remain anonymous. A trademark application was filed by Vitaly Kamenskikh from Perm, but he denied any connection. The bot’s owners may earn up to 2 billion rubles ($25 million) annually from ads and premium subscriptions.
Kazakhstan prosecutors demanded a ban on the bot in October 2025, citing risks to minors. Ukrainian police on July 24 warned of a recruitment scheme where Russian security services pose as young women on Daivinchik to pressure Ukrainians into arson. Independent outlet Mediazona noted that court rulings mentioning the bot involve fraud, not terrorism recruitment.
