Vladimir Vedeneyev, co-owner of telecom operator GlobalNet, said in an interview with Agentstvo on 12 June that he had sold the Russian companies Electrontelecom and Globalnet in 2024, and refuted the claims of an investigation by Vazhnyye Istorii (Important Stories) that he retains control over the infrastructure used by Telegram and has access to users' correspondence.
On the sale of assets and management
According to Vedeneyev, the decision to sell was prompted by pressure from Western banks and financial institutions. He claims that since 2013 he has not participated in the operational management of the Russian companies, and since 2017 he has not lived in Russia. The buyer, he said, was his sister's husband, who lives in Russia. "The deal was commercial in nature — all legal and financial formalities were observed. Before the sale I received the dividends due to me, after which I fully exited the ownership structure," Vedeneyev said.
The Vazhnyye Istorii investigation alleged that Vedeneyev had transferred both companies to relatives. In response, he explained that transferring the business to a relative was one of the options, and stressed that the relative has no connection to his activities.
On contracts with the FSB and IP addresses
Vedeneyev confirmed that Electrontelecom and Globalnet interacted with the FSB, but explained this as a requirement of Russian law. "To obtain a telecom operator's licence, interaction with a number of government agencies, including the FSB, is required. After the licence is issued, the operator is assigned an authorised contact person [at the FSB], through whom all necessary communication takes place on matters related to compliance with the requirements of the SORM system," he said. According to him, work on installing public warning equipment was carried out through an FSB liaison officer.
Commenting on reports that IP addresses formerly belonging to Globalnet are now controlled by GNM, Vedeneyev attributed this to the specifics of how the RIPE NCC database is filled in. He noted that errors in indicating the country where addresses are used are possible and that efforts are made to correct them.
On servicing Telegram servers
Vedeneyev confirmed that GNM provides colocation services for Telegram servers, but rejected suggestions of access to correspondence. "In the data centres where we provide colocation services, our specialists have authorisation for physical access to the racks. This is necessary exclusively for carrying out technical tasks under the service level agreement," he said. According to him, the servicing amounts to following Telegram's instructions: providing console access, replacing components at the client's request and other standard procedures.
He also commented on a 2018 document in which he signed an assignment agreement on behalf of GNM as general director and on behalf of Telegram as financial director. Vedeneyev claims that in reality he did not hold the position of financial director and did not manage the company. "We provided services under contracts, received payment and did not participate either in the strategic management or in the operational activities of Telegram as a business," he said.
Telegram, according to him, is one of GNM's key clients alongside Google and DigitalOcean. Vedeneyev also said that he does not maintain regular contacts with Pavel Durov.
After the publication of the investigation, according to Vedeneyev, representatives of several financial institutions approached him asking for clarification on procedural matters concerning his personal accounts. At one bank the explanations were accepted; with two others, discussions are ongoing.
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