Binance handed user data to Russia that led to a Ukrainian donor's arrest
Binance reportedly provided user data to Russian authorities that led to the arrest of a Ukrainian donor. The exchange maintains that it only complies with lawful requests supported by valid legal documentation.
Why it matters
This incident raises significant ethical and privacy concerns regarding how centralized crypto exchanges handle user data in conflict zones and under authoritarian jurisdictions.
The exchange identified Yuri Belenkiy as the source of transfers worth more than $700, Reuters reported, citing law enforcement documents. Binance also allegedly provided his date of birth, address, phone number and passport number, alongside copies of his Russian passport and Bulgarian residency permit.
Russian authorities detained Belenkiy in September 2025 and he remains in jail awaiting trial.
Russia’s Investigative Committee alleged that Belenkiy made the payments between January 2023 and March 2024 after an appeal by exiled Kremlin critic Arkady Babchenko. The funds were intended for the Ukrainian military and a group associated with the Azov Brigade, which Moscow classifies as a terrorist organization.
Investigators reportedly received two responses from case@binanceholdings.ru after requesting Belenkiy’s transaction history. Binance’s website had directed Russian and Belarusian law enforcement agencies to that address.
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