Binance reportedly shared user information with Russian authorities, which resulted in the arrest of a Ukrainian donor.
Despite leaving the Russian market in 2023, Binance claims compliance with lawful requests.
By Francisco Rodrigues, AI Boost|Edited by Jamie Crawley
Binance allegedly provided Russian investigators with customer data that led to the arrest of Yuri Belenkiy, an IT specialist charged with financing terrorism through donations to Ukrainian organizations, as reported by Reuters.
According to law enforcement documents, Belenkiy was identified by Binance as the source of over $700 in transfers. The information shared included his birth date, address, phone number, and passport details, as well as copies of his Russian passport and Bulgarian residency permit.
Belenkiy was detained in September 2025 and is currently awaiting trial.
Russian authorities claim Belenkiy made these donations between January 2023 and March 2024 in response to a call from Arkady Babchenko, an exiled critic of the Kremlin. The funds were directed toward the Ukrainian military and a group associated with the Azov Brigade, which the Russian government designates as a terrorist organization.
Inquiries directed to Binance’s designated email for law enforcement yielded two responses after requests for Belenkiy’s transaction history. The company had directed law enforcement from Russia and Belarus to this email address.
Binance’s guidelines for law enforcement state that the exchange requires a valid court order or warrant before releasing user information during criminal investigations.
This incident occurred after Binance sold its Russian operations to CommEX in September 2023, citing a misalignment with its compliance strategy. The company confirmed that it would not retain any revenue-sharing or repurchase options related to this business.
Binance has stated that it complies with lawful requests from authorities, adhering to relevant legal and privacy regulations. However, the company did not comment on Belenkiy’s situation or whether the data disclosure may have violated European data protection laws.
CoinDesk has attempted to contact Binance but has not received a response as of this writing.
The information was obtained by The First Department, an organization that advocates for defendants in politically sensitive cases in Russia, from one of Belenkiy’s family members.