U.S. prosecutors have charged three Russian nationals and two web hosting companies with hacking, conspiracy, and money laundering for their alleged roles in facilitating cyberattacks that caused tens of millions of dollars in damages to American businesses.
The indictment, originally filed in 2024, was unsealed in July 2026. It names Alexander Volosovik, Kirill Zatolokin, and Yulia Pankova — all residents of St. Petersburg, Russia — as the owners and operators of two web hosts, Media Land and ML.Cloud. Prosecutors allege the companies provided criminals and state-backed hackers with hosting infrastructure used to carry out attacks on dozens of U.S. businesses across more than 20 states, generating approximately $62 million in cybercrime proceeds.
According to the Justice Department, hackers used the infrastructure to launch distributed denial-of-service attacks, phishing campaigns, and cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure in the United States. By operating as “bulletproof” web hosts, the companies allegedly sought to shield their customers from law enforcement demands and takedowns.
The U.S. Treasury had previously sanctioned Media Land and ML.Cloud for allowing ransomware gangs — including LockBit, BlackSuit, and Play — to use their services. Those sanctions bar Americans and U.S. businesses from transacting with the individuals or their companies.
The suspects are unlikely to face immediate arrest. Russia does not typically extradite its citizens, though U.S. law enforcement has previously detained high-value targets when they travel to countries with diplomatic agreements with the United States.
U.S. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said in a statement that the web hosts’ actions “put the American public at risk,” and added that the Justice Department would “continue to dismantle these networks and protect our critical infrastructure from cybercriminals at home and abroad.”
Source: TechCrunch