In July 2021, the Pegasus Project consortium revealed that Russian-born, French-Emirati multibillionaire and Telegram founder Pavel Durov was selected as a potential target for surveillance by an Emirati client of NSO Group when he moved his company to Dubaï.
In March 2022, The Guardian and The Washington Post revealed that Israel blocked Ukraine from purchasing Pegasus out of fear that it would upset Russia. According to the two media organizations, Israel also prohibited Estonia from using Pegasus against Russian targets.