Largest Crypto Exchange Handed Over Data of IT Specialist Who Donated to Support Ukrainian Military to Russia
The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has confirmed that it can disclose client data upon requests from law enforcement agencies.
Binance exited the Russian market at the end of 2023. But now it finds itself at the center of a scandal. Russian security forces received detailed information from the exchange about Russian IT specialist Yuri Bilenky, who transferred money in cryptocurrency to support the needs of Ukrainian military personnel.
This was reported by Reuters and the human rights organization "Perviy Otdel" (First Department), who reviewed the case materials.
Bilenky, who had lived in Bulgaria since 2015 and holds a Bulgarian residence permit, was detained in September 2025 at Sheremetyevo Airport. Russian investigators accused him of financing terrorism.
According to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, from January 2023 to March 2024, Bilenky made six cryptocurrency transfers totaling $742. The money, according to Russian security forces, was intended for the Ukrainian army and the "Azov" unit.
After Bilenky's detention, the Investigative Committee sent a request to Binance for information about clients who transferred funds to the cryptocurrency wallet published by blogger Arkady Babchenko.
Binance, as reported by "Perviy Otdel," provided investigators with a detailed history of Bilenky's account from the moment of its registration. It included personal data, copies of his Russian passport and Bulgarian residence permit, information about account balances, transfers between accounts, as well as the history of cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals.
After receiving this information, the investigation uncovered nine more transfers made by Bilenky. As a result, 15 transactions are now included in the charges.
Binance officially announced its withdrawal from the Russian market in October 2023. At the same time, a representative of the exchange told journalists that Binance responds to legitimate requests from law enforcement agencies, taking into account privacy and regulatory requirements.
It is not yet known whether Binance handed over data of other senders of funds to the Ukrainian army.
Human rights defenders note that the transfer of personal data to Russian authorities without appropriate international legal procedures may contradict the requirements of European data protection legislation.
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