Binance supplied Russian investigators with personal identity documents and cryptocurrency transaction records that formed part of the evidence in a terrorism financing case against a Russian IT specialist, according to documents reviewed in a recent investigation. The records related to Yuri Belenkiy, a 49-year-old Russian national who holds a Bulgarian residency permit.

Russian authorities detained Belenkiy in September 2025. He remains in custody awaiting trial on charges of financing terrorism. Investigators allege he transferred more than $700 in cryptocurrency between January 2023 and March 2024 to organizations linked to Ukraine’s military efforts.

Details of the Transfers and the Charges

According to case materials, Belenkiy sent funds to a cryptocurrency wallet promoted by Arkady Babchenko, an exiled critic of the Kremlin. Babchenko had publicly shared wallet addresses while seeking donations for medical equipment intended for Ukrainian soldiers. Russian investigators also linked some of the transfers to a group associated with the Azov Brigade, which operates as part of Ukraine’s National Guard. Moscow designates Azov as a terrorist organization, a classification not shared by many other jurisdictions.

Russia’s Investigative Committee requested Belenkiy’s transaction history from Binance. The exchange responded with a data file that confirmed the transfers and included personal details such as his address, telephone number, date of birth, passport information, a copy of his Russian passport, and his Bulgarian residency permit. These records were later incorporated into the interim case outline submitted to the prosecutor general’s office.

Documents related to the case were obtained by The First Department, a legal support group that assists defendants in politically sensitive Russian matters, from one of Belenkiy’s relatives. Neither Belenkiy’s lawyer nor Russian authorities publicly addressed the reported role of the exchange data in the proceedings.

Binance’s Response and Compliance Position

Binance declined to discuss the specific request or Belenkiy’s case. In a statement, the company said it cooperates with lawful information requests from law enforcement agencies around the world, subject to applicable legal, privacy, and regulatory requirements.

The exchange added that it does not create national laws, determine criminal charges, or control how governments use the information they receive. Official guidance on Binance’s website directed Russian and Belarusian law enforcement agencies to submit requests to a designated email address. Investigators reportedly received two replies from that channel.

Binance’s current guidelines state that a valid court order, police order, or warrant is required before user information is provided in a criminal investigation.

Exit From Russia and Continuing Contact

In September 2023, Binance announced it would fully exit the Russian market by selling its local business to CommEX. The company stated at the time that operating in Russia was incompatible with its compliance strategy and that it would retain no revenue-sharing arrangement or option to repurchase the business. The customer migration and service closure were expected to take up to a year.

Despite the exit, Russian investigators were still able to obtain records through the established channel. Lawyer Mike Bystrov argued that Binance had no obligation to provide the information after leaving the market. Binance disputed that interpretation but did not specify which law required or permitted the disclosure.

CommEX later ceased operations after acquiring the Russian business, leaving the transition incomplete. Continued responses to information requests do not indicate a resumption of commercial activity in the country. Companies commonly retain historical customer records and may answer lawful inquiries after withdrawing from a jurisdiction.

Data Protection Questions

Belenkiy holds both a Russian passport and a Bulgarian residency permit. Questions have arisen about whether European Union data protection rules could apply if he registered his Binance account as an EU resident. The European Union does not recognize Russia as providing adequate data protection standards, which would normally require strict safeguards for any transfer of personal information.

It has not been established whether Belenkiy registered the account as a Bulgarian or European resident. Binance did not identify the specific entity that handled the request. The European Data Protection Board declined to comment on the individual case, noting that enforcement rests with national authorities. Bulgaria’s data protection commission did not respond to inquiries.

Bystrov suggested Binance may have had an obligation under EU rules not to disclose the information, though no regulator or court has issued a finding on the matter.

Broader Context of Law Enforcement Cooperation

The episode occurs against a backdrop of ongoing scrutiny of how major cryptocurrency platforms balance compliance obligations across different jurisdictions. Binance has reported processing more than 71,000 law enforcement requests in 2025 and assisting in the seizure of over $752 million in illicit crypto assets. At the same time, the company has faced pressure in the United States over historical transactions linked to sanctioned jurisdictions and continues to adjust its relationships with certain platforms tied to sanctions regimes.

Belenkiy remains detained with no trial date announced. The criminal proceedings will examine the transfers and supporting evidence. Any separate review under European data protection rules would require determination of the account’s registration location and the controlling Binance entity.

The available documents concern only this individual case. There is no public indication of whether similar requests involved other donors to the same wallets or led to additional investigations.