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2w ago

U.S. Unseals Indictment of Russian Bulletproof Hosting Operators

The Justice Department says the firms provided hardened server services that let ransomware gangs evade takedowns, with the State Department offering up to $10 million for information.

A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. Capitalizing on spying tools believed to have been developed by the U.S. National Security Agency, hackers staged a cyber assault with a self-spreading malware that has infected tens of thousands of computers in nearly 100 countries. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo
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Overview

  • The Justice Department unsealed a December 2024 indictment on July 14 charging three St. Petersburg nationals and two companies with conspiracy, wire fraud, computer fraud and money‑laundering offenses.
  • Prosecutors named Alexander Alexandrovich Volosovik, Kirill Andreevich Zatolokin and Yulia Vladimirovna Pankova and accused their firms Media Land LLC and ML. Cloud LLC of operating so‑called bulletproof hosting that shielded criminal activity.
  • Authorities say the hosting network enabled ransomware, malware, phishing and extortion that led to more than $62 million in losses across roughly 21 U.S. states and dozens of victims including hospitals, banks, schools and government offices.
  • The U.S., U.K. and Australia imposed sanctions on the defendants and companies in November 2025, and the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is now offering up to $10 million for actionable tips on foreign‑government links or use of the services.
  • Law enforcement officials, led by the FBI’s Cleveland Division as part of Operation Riptide, said the action aims to disrupt infrastructure and financial rails even though the defendants remain in Russia where extradition is unlikely, which could push criminals to seek alternate hosting and payment channels.