Additional Coverage:
- Ukrainian woman charged over Russian-backed cyberattacks; $10M reward offered for others (foxnews.com)
Ukrainian Woman Charged in US with Aiding Russian Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure
WASHINGTON D.C. – A Ukrainian woman has been formally charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for her alleged role in dozens of cyberattacks targeting critical U.S. infrastructure. These attacks were reportedly carried out in collaboration with Russian-backed hacking groups.
Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova, 33, also known by aliases such as Vika, Tory, and SovaSonya, was arraigned on Tuesday after being extradited to the U.S. earlier this year. She pleaded not guilty to charges related to her alleged involvement with two pro-Russia operations: CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn (CARR) and NoName057(16).
Prosecutors assert that both groups receive support from Russian government entities to advance their geopolitical agenda. The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information that leads to the identification of others tied to NoName057(16).
According to the DOJ, CARR was established and financed by Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU, and maintained a popular Telegram channel boasting over 75,000 followers. Officials allege that the group’s attacks caused tangible harm, including damage to public water systems that resulted in the spillage of hundreds of thousands of gallons of drinking water. They also cited a November 2024 breach at a Los Angeles meat processing plant, which led to the spoilage of thousands of pounds of product and an ammonia release.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg stated, “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. We remain steadfast in defending essential services, including food and water systems Americans rely on each day, and holding accountable those who seek to undermine them.”
NoName057(16) is described as a Russia-linked hacktivist group that has claimed responsibility for over 1,500 attacks between March 2022 and June 2025. Their targets have included government agencies, telecommunications firms, military installations, financial institutions, and transportation authorities across Ukraine, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, and Sweden. The group also took credit for cyberattacks on Dutch infrastructure before and during the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague.
Chris Butera, CISA’s acting deputy executive assistant director for cybersecurity, commented that these groups “are actively engaging in opportunistic, low-sophistication malicious cyber activity to gain notoriety and create mayhem.”
Dubranova faces a potential sentence of up to five years in the NoName case and as many as 27 years in the CARR matter. Her trials are scheduled for February and April 2026.
The Rewards for Justice program accompanied its $10 million reward announcement with a direct message to other NoName participants: “They call themselves ‘NoName.’ But maybe YOU can name some names.”