Former Binance user’s archived data used in Russian terrorism‑financing case

Russian authorities detained IT specialist Yuri Belenkiy in September 2025 and later incorporated his Binance transaction history into a terrorism‑financing case. The case highlights how personal and transaction data retained by an exchange can remain accessible long after the exchange exits a jurisdiction.

Background on Binance’s Russian exit

Binance announced the sale of its entire Russian business to CommEX on 27 September 2023, presenting the deal as a complete exit from the market. The sale removed Binance’s local operations, staff, and the ability to onboard new users in Russia.

Data request and disclosure

Law‑enforcement documents reviewed by Reuters show that a request was sent from an address using the domain binanceholdings.ru. The response included Belenkiy’s date of birth, residential address, phone number, passport number, and copies of his Russian passport and Bulgarian residence permit.

The request also sought details of other Binance customers who transferred funds to the same wallet, though it is unclear whether Binance identified additional users.

Alleged transactions

• Between January 2023 and March 2024, Belenkiy allegedly sent more than $700 worth of cryptocurrency to recipients in Ukraine.
• Russian authorities claim the payments supported a group linked to the Azov military unit, which Moscow designates as a terrorist organization.

Legal and compliance context

Binance states it cooperates with lawful law‑enforcement requests that are supported by a valid court order, police order, or warrant. The exchange’s public guidelines require such legal basis and may allow notification to the user unless prohibited.

Financial‑service regulations typically require exchanges to retain customer identification (KYC) records for several years, creating a durable archive that can be accessed for investigations, tax matters, or national‑security cases.

Implications for users

Closing an account or moving funds to self‑custody ends the exchange’s custody role but does not erase the identity and transaction records already collected. Those records remain subject to legal retention requirements and can be disclosed to authorities when properly requested.

The Belenkiy case demonstrates that an exchange’s operational exit does not automatically eliminate the data exposure risk for former customers.