Binance reportedly handed Russian authorities customer information that was later used to prosecute a Russian IT specialist over alleged terrorism financing linked to donations to Ukrainian groups, according to Reuters.
Law enforcement records cited by Reuters identified Yuri Belenkiy as the person behind transfers totaling more than $700. Binance allegedly disclosed his date of birth, home address, phone number and passport information, as well as copies of his Russian passport and Bulgarian residency permit.
Russian authorities detained Belenkiy in September 2025, and he remains imprisoned while awaiting trial.
According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, Belenkiy made the transfers between January 2023 and March 2024 after an appeal from exiled Kremlin critic Arkady Babchenko. Investigators allege that the money was destined for Ukraine’s military and a group affiliated with the Azov Brigade, which Russia has designated as a terrorist organization.
Investigators reportedly obtained two responses from a Binance-associated email address after requesting Belenkiy’s transaction history. Binance’s website had previously directed law enforcement agencies in Russia and Belarus to use that address for information requests.
Binance’s current law-enforcement policy states that the exchange requires appropriate legal authorization, such as a court order, police order or warrant, before releasing customer information as part of a criminal investigation.
The reported disclosure came after Binance exited Russia in September 2023 by selling its local operations to CommEX. The exchange said at the time that remaining in the Russian market conflicted with its compliance strategy and that it would not retain a revenue-sharing agreement or option to buy back the business.
Binance told Reuters that it responds to legitimate law enforcement requests while complying with relevant legal, privacy and regulatory obligations. The company declined to comment specifically on Belenkiy’s case or whether the data disclosure potentially violated European privacy regulations.
CoinDesk also contacted Binance for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
The records were obtained by The First Department, an organization that provides support to defendants in Russian political cases, through one of Belenkiy’s relatives.
