The Leninsky District Court of Nizhny Tagil sent local resident Ilya Pylaev to a pre-trial detention center, accusing him of aiding terrorist activities. According to the press service of the Sverdlovsk Oblast courts, the man transferred money through paid "Stars" reactions in Telegram.
According to the investigation, the total amount of transfers was 1148 rubles 29 kopecks, and these funds were directed to support a person involved in a terrorist organization. Pylaev will remain in custody until at least October 4, charged under Part 1.1 of Article 205.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Only the court can give a final assessment of the accused's actions.
"Stars" appeared in Telegram in June 2024. This is the messenger's internal currency, an analogue of "VKontakte" votes. They can be purchased through the in-app purchase system and then spent on various digital products within Telegram, including paid reactions.
This is not the first time that paid Telegram reactions have become a reason for accusations of terrorism financing. In February 2026, the FSB detained a resident of Tyumen, and in March, a similar case was initiated against a 17-year-old teenager from Kuzbass. Thus, the use of the messenger's virtual currency is increasingly falling into the purview of law enforcement agencies and is classified as a full-fledged financial transfer.
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