US Slaps New Charges on Ukrainian Over Russian Cyberattacks

The US Department of Justice unveiled additional charges against a Ukrainian woman accused of supporting Russian state-backed cyberattacks against critical infrastructure.

Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova, 33, was indicted on Tuesday over her alleged links to a Moscow-sponsored group, the DOJ said in a statement. Dubranova was extradited to the US earlier this year over her alleged support for another Russian group. She has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

“Today’s actions demonstrate the department’s commitment to disrupting malicious Russian cyber activity — whether conducted directly by state actors or their criminal proxies — aimed at furthering Russia’s geopolitical interests,” US Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said in the statement.

Both groups Dubranova is accused of working with, CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn (CARR) and NoName057(16), have strong links to the Russian government, according to the DOJ.

CARR was founded, funded, and directed by the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, known as GRU, the statement said. The group claimed credit for hundreds of cyberattacks worldwide, including attacks against critical infrastructure in the United States.

“The GRU is increasingly leaning into willing accomplices to hide their own hand in destabilizing physical and cyber attacks in Europe and the US,” said John Hultquist, chief analyst at Google’s Threat Intelligence Group.

The GRU and Russia’s Foreign Ministry didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Bloomberg News has reported on various attacks on US water systems including in Muleshoe, Texas, for which CARR posted a video apparently showing hackers manipulating its industrial control system.

The DOJ statement said CARR also attacked a meat processing facility in Los Angeles as well as US election infrastructure and the websites of US nuclear regulatory entities.

NoName, it alleged, is a state-sanctioned project established by a Russian presidential order in 2018, and has claimed credit for hundreds of cyberattacks and primarily conducted DDoS cyberattacks. Its victims include government agencies, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure, such as public railways and ports, the US agency said.

If convicted, Dubranova faces a sentence of up to 27 years in federal prison. The US Department of State is offering rewards of up to $10 million for information on individuals associated with CARR and NoName.

Photo: Photo credit: Jason Alden/Bloomberg