US charges Ukrainian & Russian nationals over cyberattack, seizes $6mn in ransom payments

The US Justice Department on Monday, 8 November, charged two foreign nationals over a ransomware attack on businesses and government entities in the US and seized over $6 million in ransom payments. According to a statement, one of the suspects was from Ukraine and another one from Russia. It is to mention that the recent US actions follow a slew of measures taken to combat ransomware that earlier this year had hit big companies, including Colonial Pipeline. 

As per the press note, Yaroslav Vasinskyi, a 22-year-old Ukrainian national, has been charged for conducting ransomware attacks against multiple victims, including the July 2021 attack against Kaseya - a technology firm. Vasinskyi was arrested in Poland last month. The Ukrainian national, along with Russian national Yevgeniy Polyanin, are charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, among other charges. 

As part of the probe, the US officials also seized at least $6 million in funds allegedly linked to ransom payments received by Polyanin, who is also charged with conducting Sodinokibi/REvil ransomware attacks against multiple victims. Further, according to the indictments, the two foreign nationals accessed internal computer networks of several victim companies and deployed ransomware known as REvil, which has been used in hacks that have cost US firms millions of dollars

"The arrest of Yaroslav Vasinskyi, the charges against Yevgeniy Polyanin and seizure of $6.1 million of his assets, and the arrests of two other Sodinokibi/REvil actors in Romania are the culmination of close collaboration with our international, US government and especially our private sector partners," said FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Foreign nationals could face max penalty 

Wray added that Vasinskyi and Polyanin are charged in separate indictments with conspiracy to commit fraud and related activity in connection with computers, substantive counts of damage to protected computers, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted of all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of 115 and 145 years in prison, respectively.

Meanwhile, following the DoJ announcement, US President Joe Biden said the nation is using the full capability of the federal government to disrupt malicious cyber activity. Biden went on to inform that the unsealed US indictments announced against Russian and Ukrainian nationals for alleged cybercrimes in the US fulfilled his pledge to Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold cybercriminals accountable. He also commended the Department of Justice, FBI, Department of States and Department of Treasury for their efforts to counter cyber threats. 

“My Administration will continue to use every tool available to us to protect the American people and American interests against cyber threats,” Biden said. 

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