The US Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against three Russian nationals on July 14, charging them with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. The trio allegedly operated “bulletproof” hosting services that enabled ransomware attacks hitting victims in 21 states.
The US State Department simultaneously announced a $10 million reward for information leading to the identification or location of the defendants.
The infrastructure behind the attacks
The indictment, filed in the Northern District of Ohio, names Alexander Volosovik, Kirill Zatolokin, and Yulia Pankova as the operators behind Media Land and ML.Cloud. These companies allegedly provided bulletproof hosting, a type of service specifically designed to resist law enforcement takedown requests and shield criminal clients from accountability.
The victims of the attacks facilitated through these services reportedly include banks, schools, government entities, hospitals, and media companies. Financial losses tied to the operations are estimated at $62 million, spread across targets in more than two dozen states.
