US and EU Impose Coordinated Sanctions on Russian Bulletproof Hosting Operators Linked to Ransomware Attacks

The US Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging three Russian nationals with running bulletproof hosting services that enabled ransomware attacks causing over $62 million in damages, while the EU announced parallel sanctions.

This article was drafted with AI assistance from multiple sources and was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication.

The US Department of Justice unsealed an indictment on Tuesday charging three Russian nationals with operating bulletproof hosting services that facilitated ransomware attacks causing over $62 million in damages.

The defendants — Aleksandr Volosovik, also known as Yalishanda; Yulia Pankova; and Kirill Zatolokin — are residents of St. Petersburg, Russia. They are accused of running two bulletproof hosting services, Media Land and ML.Cloud, which provided infrastructure for ransomware groups such as LockBit, BlackSuit, and Play.

According to the indictment, the services were used to launch attacks against victims across the United States and beyond. U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer noted that victims were located in Ohio and 20 other states, including banks, schools, government entities, hospitals, and media companies. The infrastructure also supported DDoS attacks against US critical infrastructure, including telecommunications.

The hosting services operated servers in multiple countries, including China, Finland, the Netherlands, and the United States. The defendants face charges of hacking, conspiracy, and money laundering.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva stated: "We will continue to dismantle these networks and protect our critical infrastructure from cybercriminals at home and abroad."

In a coordinated action, the European Union Council also sanctioned Media Land, ML.Cloud, and Alexander Volosovik as part of the first joint cyber sanctions package with the UK. The entities had previously been sanctioned by the US, UK, and Australia in November 2025.

The US State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the individuals, through the Rewards for Justice program.

While the indictment was first filed in 2024, it remained sealed until today. The defendants are unlikely to be captured, as Russia does not extradite its citizens.