Binance data from 2023 Russia exit surfaces in terrorism-financing case
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Russian investigators used Binance customer and transaction data in a terrorism-financing case against Yuri Belenkiy, detained in September 2025. The data was supplied after Binance sold its Russian business to CommEX in September 2023. The case shows former customer records remained accessible long after the exchange's exit.
Key Facts
- Yuri Belenkiy, a 49-year-old Russian passport holder with a Bulgarian residence permit, was detained in September 2025 and is accused of sending more than $700 in crypto to Ukrainian recipients between January 2023 and March 2024.
- Binance announced the sale of its Russian business to CommEX on Sept. 27, 2023, describing it as a complete exit from Russia.
- A response from an address using the domain binanceholdings.ru included Belenkiy's date of birth, residential address, phone number, passport number, and copies of his passport and Bulgarian residence permit.
- Russian authorities say the payments supported a group linked to the Azov military unit, which Moscow designates as a terrorist organization.
- Reuters could not establish whether Binance identified other customers who transferred funds to the same wallet.
The Belenkiy Case
Russian investigators detained IT specialist Yuri Belenkiy in September 2025, nearly two years after Binance formally exited Russia. Law enforcement documents reviewed by Reuters show Binance supplied personal and transaction data later incorporated into the terrorism-financing case against Belenkiy. Belenkiy is accused of sending more than $700 in crypto to Ukrainian recipients between January 2023 and March 2024. Russian authorities say the payments supported a group linked to the Azov military unit, which Moscow designates as a terrorist organization. Belenkiy is in a Russian jail awaiting trial, and the allegations have not been adjudicated.
Data Retention After Exit
Binance announced the sale of its Russian business to CommEX on Sept. 27, 2023, presenting the deal as a complete exit and denying any continuing revenue split or buyback option. A company can sell its local operation, stop onboarding users, and remove its staff, yet still retain years of passports, addresses, and account histories because financial law requires recordkeeping. The documents reviewed by Reuters describe a later law enforcement request for transaction records connected with Belenkiy. A response sent from an address using the domain binanceholdings.ru included a file with his date of birth, residential address, phone number, and passport number, along with copies of his passport and Bulgarian residence permit. One request also sought details of other Binance customers who transferred funds to the same wallet, but Reuters could not establish whether Binance identified any of those users.
Limits of the Evidence
The documents stop short of establishing that Binance secretly kept operating its old Russian exchange. Data cooperation and customer servicing, however, are different activities. Withdrawing crypto might end the custody relationship, but copies of the identity and transaction data already submitted can stay behind. The business left, but the archive stayed.
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Binance data from 2023 Russia exit surfaces in terrorism-financing case
