Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed that Ukrainian intelligence recruited young people through a popular Telegram bot. The FSB announced it had detained 46 people aged 12 to 22 who used the dating bot 'Leonardo Dayvinchik' in 16 different regions since July 2025.
According to the Russian security service, Ukrainian agents contacted the youths using fake profiles. Then, by obtaining their location data or payment links, they were threatened under the guise of Russian security forces. The FSB alleged that the youths were coerced into actions such as attacking police, arson, and transferring money to Ukrainian accounts.
Evidence does not point to Telegram
The FSB released some videos to support its claims. However, it was noticed that the messaging interface in these images belonged not to Telegram but to the VK Messaging app. This indicated that the platform at the center of the accusations was not Telegram.
Despite this, Russian officials accused Pavel Durov, the founder of the platform hosting the bot, of aiding terrorism. On July 30, 2026, Durov was added to the list of individuals involved in terrorism and extremism by Russia's Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring).
The rise of the 'Dayvinchik' bot
The bot started as a humor community on VKontakte in 2015. It turned into a dating bot on Telegram in 2018, and its popularity exploded especially after international services like Tinder withdrew from Russia. It currently has 13.6 million monthly users. The bot offers matches by uploading age, gender, city information, and photos; if there is a mutual like, a chat can be started via Telegram.
Users' ages are not verified. The bot's developers are anonymous; although outlets like Mash have tried to link it to some individual entrepreneurs, clear ownership could not be proven. According to estimates, its annual revenue can reach 2 billion rubles.
Security concerns and international context
Before Russia, the bot had also faced calls for a ban in Kazakhstan. Ukraine, for its part, had reported that Russian agents targeted its own citizens using similar methods. Court records have so far shown no terrorism or espionage cases linked to the bot; it is more often mentioned in fraud cases.
Experts note that anonymous ownership and lack of verification make the bot vulnerable to fraud. Users are advised not to click on links, share their location, or send money. Additionally, it is emphasized that since devices of detainees in Russia can be forcibly accessed, even having used the bot could pose a risk in the future.
