Binance Reportedly Shared Russian User Data Later Used in Terror Financing Case

Binance provided Russian authorities with customer information that was later used to charge an IT specialist with financing terrorism over donations linked to Ukrainian groups, Reuters reported Monday.

According to law enforcement documents reviewed by Reuters, the crypto exchange identified Yuri Belenkiy as the person behind transfers totaling more than $700. Binance reportedly disclosed personal information including his date of birth, home address, phone number and passport number. Authorities also received copies of Belenkiy’s Russian passport and Bulgarian residency permit.

Belenkiy was detained by Russian authorities in September 2025 and remains in custody awaiting trial.

Russia’s Investigative Committee alleges that Belenkiy made the cryptocurrency payments between January 2023 and March 2024 following an appeal from Arkady Babchenko, an exiled Kremlin critic. Investigators claim the money was intended to support Ukraine’s military and a group associated with the Azov Brigade, which Russia designates as a terrorist organization.

Reuters reported that investigators received two responses from [email protected] after requesting information about Belenkiy’s transaction history. Binance’s website had previously directed Russian and Belarusian law enforcement agencies to use that email address for inquiries.

The reported Binance data disclosure occurred after the exchange announced the sale of its Russian operations to CommEX in September 2023. At the time, Binance said continuing to operate in Russia was incompatible with its compliance strategy and stated that it would have no revenue-sharing agreement or option to buy back the business.

Binance told Reuters that it responds to lawful law enforcement requests in accordance with applicable legal, privacy and regulatory requirements. The cryptocurrency exchange declined to comment specifically on Belenkiy’s case or whether sharing the customer information could have violated European data protection regulations.

Binance’s current law enforcement guidelines state that authorities must provide a valid court order, police order or warrant before the company releases user information in connection with a criminal investigation.

The documents reviewed by Reuters were obtained from one of Belenkiy’s relatives by The First Department, an organization that assists defendants in Russian political cases.