Russian Ptitsyn pleads guilty to Phobos ransomware scheme

According to the US Justice Department, Evgenii Ptitsyn, a 43-year-old Russian national, has pleaded guilty in a US court to wire fraud conspiracy connected to the Phobos ransomware operation. Ptitsyn was arrested in South Korea in June 2024 and extradited to the United States in November of the same year. He faces up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for 15 July.

Authorities say Ptitsyn was involved in the Phobos scheme since at least November 2020, helping with the sale, distribution and operation of the ransomware, and appears to have been part of the administration team that offered malware and infrastructure to affiliates. The Phobos operation emerged in 2019 and targeted more than 1,000 organisations worldwide, with criminals believed to have obtained over $16 million in ransom payments.