**Justice Department Announces Actions to Combat Two Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Criminal Hacking Groups**

The U.S. Justice Department has announced two significant actions aimed at combating the malicious activities of two Russian state-sponsored cyber hacking groups: CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn (CARR) and NoName057(16) (NoName). The announcement comes as part of an ongoing effort to disrupt Russian state-sponsored cyber threats targeting U.S. critical infrastructure and interests abroad.

The first indictment charges Ukrainian national Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova, 33, also known as Vika, Tory, and SovaSonya, with her role in conducting cyberattacks and computer intrusions against critical infrastructure and other victims worldwide, in support of Russia's geopolitical interests. Dubranova was extradited to the United States earlier this year on an indictment charging her for her actions supporting CARR.

According to the indictment, CARR claimed credit for hundreds of cyberattacks against victims worldwide, including attacks against critical infrastructure in the United States, in support of Russia's geopolitical interests. The group primarily hacked industrial control facilities and conducted DDoS attacks, resulting in damage to controls and the spilling of hundreds of thousands of gallons of drinking water. CARR also attacked U.S. election infrastructure during U.S. elections, and websites for U.S. nuclear regulatory entities, among other sensitive targets.

The indictment charges Dubranova with one count of conspiracy to damage protected computers and tamper with public water systems, one count of damaging protected computers, one count of access device fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted of these charges, Dubranova would face a statutory maximum penalty of 27 years in federal prison.

The second indictment charges Dubranova with her role in supporting NoName, a state-sanctioned project administered by an information technology organization established by order of the President of Russia in October 2018. NoName claimed credit for hundreds of cyberattacks against victims worldwide, including attacks against government agencies, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure, such as public railways and ports.

The indictment charges Dubranova with one count of conspiracy to damage protected computers. If convicted of this charge, Dubranova would face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

**Concurrent Actions**

Concurrent with today's actions, the U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $2 million for information on individuals associated with CARR and up to $10 million for information on individuals associated with NoName.

The FBI, CISA, NSA, DOE, EPA, and DC3 have issued a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory assessing that pro-Russia hacktivist groups, like CARR and NoName, target minimally secured, internet-facing virtual network computing connections to infiltrate (or gain access to) operational technology control devices within critical infrastructure systems to execute attacks against critical infrastructure.

On July 19, 2024, the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions targeting two CARR members, Yuliya Vladimirovna Pankratova and Denis Olegovich Degtyarenko, for their roles in cyber operations against U.S. critical infrastructure.

**Key Players**

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."

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California added, "Politically motivated hacktivist groups, whether state-sponsored like CARR or state-sanctioned like NoName, pose a serious threat to our national security, particularly when foreign intelligence services use civilians to obfuscate their malicious cyber activity targeting American critical infrastructure as well as attacking proponents of NATO and U.S. interests abroad."

Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI Cyber Division said, "When pro-Russia hacktivist groups target our infrastructure, the FBI will use all available tools to expose their activity and hold them accountable."

Craig Pritzlaff, EPA Acting Assistant Administrator, stated, "The defendant's illegal actions to tamper with the nation's public water systems put communities and the nation's drinking water resources at risk. These criminal charges serve as an unequivocal warning to malicious cyber actors in the U.S. and abroad."

**Indictments and Trial**

Dubranova pleaded not guilty in both cases, and is scheduled to begin trial in the NoName matter on Feb. 3, 2026 and in the CARR matter on April 7, 2026.