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

The Justice Department has announced indictments against Ukrainian national Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova for her role in supporting two Russian state‑sponsored hacking groups, CARR and NoName057(16), with trials set for early 2026. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, CARR, founded and directed by Russia’s GRU, claimed credit for hundreds of attacks worldwide, including assaults on U.S. public drinking water systems and a Los Angeles meat facility incident in November 2024.

NoName057(16) is described as a covert project tied to a Russian information technology organisation, with hundreds of cyberattacks credited and a proprietary DDoS tool used to target critical infrastructure. The charges carry potential prison terms: up to 27 years for the Dubranova counts in the CARR matter and up to five years for the NoName conspiracy, with concurrent actions also accompanied by rewards for information on individuals linked to CARR and NoName.

Concurrent with today’s actions, a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory issued by the FBI, CISA, NSA, DOE, EPA and DC3 warned that pro‑Russia hacktivist groups target minimally secured internet-facing connections to infiltrate critical infrastructure. The FBI Los Angeles Field Office is cited as part of Operation Red Circus, which aims to disrupt Russian state‑sponsored cyber threats to U.S. critical infrastructure and interests abroad.