US charges Russian ‘bulletproof’ web hosts over cyberattacks that netted $62M from cybercrime victims
U.S. prosecutors have unsealed an indictment against three Russian nationals and two web hosting companies for facilitating cyberattacks. The defendants allegedly provided infrastructure for ransomware gangs, resulting in $62 million in damages to U.S. businesses.
Why it matters
This case highlights the ongoing challenge of prosecuting cybercriminals operating from jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with U.S. law enforcement.
U.S. prosecutors have charged three Russian nationals and two web hosts with hacking, conspiracy, and money laundering over their alleged roles in hosting cyberattacks that caused tens of millions of dollars in damages to U.S. businesses.
The three Russians, Alexander Volosovik, Kirill Zatolokin, and Yulia Pankova, who reside in St. Petersburg, are accused of owning and running two web hosts, Media Land and ML.Cloud, which allegedly provided criminals and state-backed hackers with web hosting and infrastructure support for carrying out cyberattacks.
The Russians were first charged in 2024, but the indictment was unsealed this week. The U.S. Treasury previously sanctioned Medialand and ML.Cloud for allowing ransomware gangs, including LockBit , BlackSuit , and Play , to use their infrastructure. Economic sanctions bar Americans and U.S. businesses from transacting with the Russians or their companies.
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