Binance Gave Russia Customer Data Used to Charge Ukraine Donor With Terrorism Financing
Binance handed Russian investigators transaction records and personal identifying information on a customer later charged with financing terrorism through cryptocurrency donations to Ukrainian organizations, according to law enforcement documents reviewed by Reuters and reported by Cointelegraph and Crypto Briefing on August 17, 2026.
The customer, Yuri Belenkiy, an IT specialist with residency in Bulgaria, was detained in September 2025, both outlets reported; Cointelegraph additionally reports that he is awaiting trial in Russia. Russia’s Investigative Committee alleges that between January 2023 and March 2024, Belenkiy sent crypto donations totaling more than $700 to the Ukrainian military and to a banned organization, according to Cointelegraph’s account of the Reuters review. Cointelegraph reports that Reuters identified the banned group as the organization known at different times as the Azov Brigade and the Azov Regiment — a detail Crypto Briefing’s report does not include.
Cointelegraph reports that the material Binance supplied included Belenkiy’s date of birth, address, phone number and passport number, along with copies of his Russian passport and Bulgarian residency permit. Crypto Briefing similarly reports that Binance provided his address, phone number, passport details and a Bulgarian residency permit, though its account does not mention a date of birth or describe copies of the passport itself.
What Binance said
Binance said in September 2023 that it had fully exited the Russian market, divesting its local operations to CommEX, both outlets note. A Binance spokesperson declined to comment on specific confidential law enforcement requests or individual cases, according to Cointelegraph, which quoted the spokesperson saying Binance
does not make or enforce the laws of any jurisdiction
and that it cooperates with lawful information requests subject to applicable legal, privacy and regulatory requirements. Crypto Briefing similarly reports that Binance said it has no role in deciding criminal charges or how authorities apply the information it provides, and that its responses to law enforcement requests follow applicable legal requirements.
Where the two accounts agree — and where they diverge
Cointelegraph and Crypto Briefing agree on the core facts: Binance supplied the data, Belenkiy was detained in September 2025, the sum involved exceeded $700, and Binance exited Russia in September 2023. Neither outlet disputes the other’s version of those facts.
The two reports diverge in what additional detail they carry. Cointelegraph alone identifies the banned recipient organization by name and carries the direct Binance spokesperson quote. Crypto Briefing alone reports that Reuters cited a crypto regulation lawyer flagging a data-protection wrinkle: had Belenkiy been registered as an EU customer, sending his data to Russian authorities could have conflicted with GDPR rules. Crypto Briefing also reports that Russian investigators separately asked Binance to identify other people who had sent crypto to the same wallet used to solicit donations for Ukrainian forces — a request neither outlet’s underlying documents confirm was fulfilled.
What remains unresolved
Crypto Briefing reports the documents reviewed do not show whether Binance provided information on additional donors to that wallet. Neither outlet establishes whether Belenkiy was in fact registered as an EU customer, which would determine whether GDPR applied to the transfer. Beyond Cointelegraph’s note that he is awaiting trial, neither report gives a trial date or further scheduling detail. Whether Binance has issued any broader statement on its data-sharing practices with Russian law enforcement since its 2023 exit is also not addressed in either report.
Sources
Every fact above is attributed to one of these reports. Where they disagree, the article says so.
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