US Department of Justice Charges Ukrainian, Russian Nationals Who Allegedly Have Deployed REvil Ransomware

On Monday, the country's senior law enforcement authorities announced the recovery of around $6 million in ransom money and the filing of additional criminal accusations against a Ukrainian and a Russian national.

(Photo : Pexels/Tima Miroshnichenko)
2 Nationals allegedly involved in the REvil ransomware attack.

Ukrainian and Russian National Alleged in REvil Ransomware Attack

In a recently published article in MSN News, fresh criminal charges have been filed against a Ukrainian person and a Russian national accused of deploying the REvil ransomware, which infected over 1,000 businesses and government agencies throughout the world last summer.

Yaroslav Vasinskyi, a Ukrainian national detained in Poland last month, and Yevgeniy Polyanin, a Russian citizen who is still on the run, are accused of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering. Vasinskyi was charged in connection with the disastrous July 4 ransomware assault on the software company Kaseya, which damaged hundreds of businesses throughout the United States.

The two individuals are part of a cybercriminal gang that has participated in ransomware operations and collected more than $200 million in ransom payments delivered in Bitcoin and Monero, according to the US Treasury Department. Sanctions are also being announced against the two guys, according to a report published in ABC News.

United States To DO Everything To Stop Ransomware Attack

Vainskyi is also accused of launching around 2,500 ransomware assaults and seeking $767 million in ransom, of which $2.3 million was finally paid, according to the papers released Monday morning. Vasinskyi and Polyanin do not have an attorney listed.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said, "Our message today is clear: The United States, together with our allies, will do everything in our power to identify the perpetrators of ransomware attacks, to bring them to justice, and to recover the funds they have stolen from the American people," according to a report published in Yahoo News.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco praised Kaseya for contacting the FBI and Department of Justice and requesting assistance locating the suspected perpetrators. FBI Director Christopher Wray said that the culprits or anybody participating in the ransomware assault would be pursued and disrupted.

Biden Released a Statement

President Joe Biden said shortly after that he had kept his pledge to Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold cybercriminals accountable. When Biden spoke with Putin, he promised that the US would take steps to hold cybercriminals responsible.

He also added that the United States is mobilizing all of its resources to disrupt malicious cyber activity and actors, strengthen domestic resilience, combat the use of virtual currency to launder ransom payments, and leverage international cooperation to disrupt the ransomware ecosystem and address safe harbors for ransomware criminals.

Furthermore, according to Garland, REvil ransomware has been installed on around 175,000 machines throughout the globe, with at least $200 million in ransom paid. REvil was also behind the $11 million ransom paid by meat producer JBS in May to unlock its systems.

The State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information that leads to the identification or location of the REvil or Sodinokibi cybercriminal gang leaders. The United States is now offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of anybody engaged in the REvil ransomware assault.