Binance Accused of Providing Data on Ukraine Donors to Russian Authorities

Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has been at the center of controversy after providing Russian authorities with customer data tied to Ukraine military donations. According to Reuters, Binance provided the information in 2025, despite having announced in 2023 that it had fully exited the Russian market.

The data was later used as evidence in a terrorism financing case against a Russian IT specialist, Yuri Belenkiy, who was detained in September 2025. Russia's Investigative Committee alleged that Belenkiy had transferred more than $700 to the Ukrainian military and related groups formerly known as the Azov Brigade.

Binance has disputed claims that it should not have provided the data after leaving the Russian market, stating that it cooperates with lawful information requests from law enforcement globally. However, a lawyer specializing in cryptocurrency regulation said Binance may have been prohibited from doing so under European Union data protection law.