Binance's Archived Data Used in Foreign Terrorism Prosecution
A Russian IT specialist named Yuri Belenkiy was detained by authorities in September 2025 for allegedly sending over $700 in crypto to Ukrainian recipients between January 2023 and March 2024. The payments were said to support a group linked to the Azov military unit, which Moscow designates as a terrorist organization.
Belenkiy's case highlights the complexities of an exchange exit, particularly when it comes to record-keeping. Binance had formally exited Russia in September 2023, but its customer records remained available.
A law enforcement request for transaction records connected with Belenkiy was sent to a response address using the domain binanceholdings.ru. The response included a file containing his date of birth, residential address, phone number, and passport number, as well as copies of his passport and Bulgarian residence permit.