Binance provided Russian investigators with identity documents and cryptocurrency transaction records later used in a terrorism financing case against Russian IT specialist Yuri Belenkiy, according to an Aug. 17 Reuters investigation.
Summary
- Binance provided Russian investigators with Yuri Belenkiy’s identity and transaction records during 2025, Reuters reported.
- Russian authorities accused Belenkiy of sending more than $700 in cryptocurrency to Ukraine linked organizations.
- Belenkiy remains detained awaiting trial, while his lawyer has not publicly addressed Binance’s reported involvement.
- Binance says it answers lawful global information requests under applicable privacy, legal and regulatory requirements.
- Reuters could not establish whether Belenkiy registered with Binance as a Bulgarian or European resident.
The records reportedly included Belenkiy’s address, telephone number, date of birth, passport and Bulgarian residency permit. Russian authorities incorporated details of his Binance transactions into evidence supporting the criminal charge.
Belenkiy, 49, is accused of transferring more than $700 in cryptocurrency to organizations connected with Ukraine’s military. He remains detained in Russia while awaiting trial. Neither his lawyer nor Russian authorities responded to Reuters’ questions about Binance’s reported role.
Binance records identified Belenkiy and his transfers
Documents reviewed by Reuters showed that Russia’s Investigative Committee sent Binance a request for Belenkiy’s transaction history. The exchange reportedly responded with a data file confirming that he initiated transfers to a cryptocurrency wallet promoted by exiled Kremlin critic Arkady Babchenko.
Babchenko had published wallet addresses while raising money for medical equipment for Ukrainian soldiers. Russian investigators allege that Belenkiy made payments between January 2023 and March 2024 following those appeals.
The Investigative Committee also accused him of sending funds to a group associated with the Azov Brigade, which operates within Ukraine’s National Guard. Russia designates Azov as a terrorist organization. Other jurisdictions do not necessarily share Moscow’s classification.
Reuters said it reviewed an interim case outline sent to the Russian prosecutor general’s office. The document cited the Binance transaction records among the grounds for bringing terrorism financing charges.
The First Department, a legal support organization assisting defendants in politically sensitive Russian cases, obtained the documents from one of Belenkiy’s relatives. Reuters said it could not independently confirm how the organization received them.
Binance says it followed lawful information requests
Binance declined to discuss the confidential request or Belenkiy’s individual case. The exchange said it routinely cooperates with law enforcement bodies under applicable rules.
“Like other global financial institutions, we cooperate with lawful information requests from law enforcement globally, subject to applicable legal, privacy and regulatory requirements,” Binance said.
The company added that it does not create national laws, determine criminal charges or control how governments use information in court proceedings. Binance said those decisions rest with the relevant authorities.
An official Binance page instructs Russian and Belarusian law enforcement agencies to send requests to [email protected]. Reuters reported that Russian investigators received two replies from that address.
The page says Binance provides information and support as required by law. It does not explain which Binance entity handles Russian requests, which national law governs each disclosure or how the exchange evaluates requests involving possible political prosecutions.
Russia exit did not end law enforcement contact
Binance announced in September 2023 that it would fully exit Russia through its sale to CommEX. The company said operating there was incompatible with its compliance strategy.
Its official announcement said Binance would have no continuing revenue share or repurchase option. The customer migration and closure of Russian services were expected to take up to one year.
Lawyer Mike Bystrov told Reuters that Binance had no obligation to provide the records because it had left Russia. Binance disputed his interpretation but did not say which law required or permitted the disclosure.
Continued communication with investigators does not by itself show that Binance resumed commercial operations in Russia. Companies can retain historical customer records and respond to information requests after leaving a market. The legal basis and limits of that cooperation remain central questions in Belenkiy’s case.
CommEX later stopped operating after acquiring Binance’s local business. As previously reported, the proposed transition became uncertain when Binance’s Russian successor announced its closure.
GDPR protection remains an unresolved question
Belenkiy holds a Russian passport and a Bulgarian residency permit. Bystrov said European Union privacy protections could apply if Belenkiy registered his Binance account as an EU resident.
Under that interpretation, transferring personal information to Russia could require strict safeguards because the European Union does not recognize Russia as providing adequate data protection. The legal assessment would depend on Belenkiy’s account registration, the Binance entity controlling his data and the authority used for the transfer.
Reuters could not establish whether he registered as a Bulgarian resident. His lawyer did not answer that question, and Binance did not identify the entity that processed the request.
The European Data Protection Board declined to comment on the individual case. It said enforcement responsibility rests with national data protection authorities. Bulgaria’s Commission for Personal Data Protection did not respond to Reuters’ questions about whether any rules had been breached.
Bystrov said Binance “may” have had an obligation not to disclose the information under EU law, but no regulator or court has reached that conclusion.
The available documents concern only Belenkiy. Reuters could not determine whether Binance identified other people who donated through the same wallets or whether Russian authorities opened related cases using exchange data.
What happens next in the Binance data case
Belenkiy remains in detention pending trial. Russian authorities have not announced a trial date, while his lawyer has not publicly addressed the accuracy of the transaction evidence or Binance’s disclosure.
The criminal court may examine the transfers and other evidence when proceedings begin. Any GDPR inquiry would be separate and would likely require a European regulator to establish where Belenkiy’s account was registered and which Binance entity controlled his records.
The disclosure also adds to wider scrutiny of Binance’s compliance operations. In related coverage, Binance CEO Richard Teng rejected separate claims about weaknesses in sanctions controls and said the exchange works with law enforcement agencies worldwide.
