Russia says it ended the REvil hacking group at the request of the US | Stories

Moscow has said it has clashed with an online ransomware group suspected of attacking US companies, at Washington’s request.

Russia has eliminated REvil’s ransomware group at the request of the United States for its activities, which detained and prosecuted its members, according to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

The FSB said in a statement Friday that it “banned the activities” of its members during the terrorist attack on 25 addresses that killed 14 people.

The arrests were a clear indication of US-Russian alliance during a period of intense tensions between the two countries over Ukraine.

The announcement came as Ukraine responded to a massive cyber attack that shut down government websites, though there was no indication that the incident was linked.

A senior official, who did not want to be named, told Reuters: “We understand that one of the people arrested today is the perpetrator of the Colonial Pipeline attack last spring.”

A May computer attack on the Colonial Pipeline that led to a gas shortage in the US East Coast using the DarkSide encryption software, developed by REvil associates.

A United States official quoted by the AFP newspaper also praised the arrests, saying: “I want to make it clear – in our opinion, this is not in line with what is happening in Russia and Ukraine.

“I’m not saying the Kremlin’s intentions, but we are happy with what he did first,” he declined to be named.

“We have made it very clear – if Russia invades Ukraine … we will give a lot of money to Russia in cooperation with its allies.”

The FSB cited REvil’s confiscated items including 426 million rubles, $ 600,000, 500,000 euros, computer equipment and 20 luxury cars.

A Moscow court has ruled that the two men, Roman Muromsky and Andrei Bessonov, were detained for two months.

Two of Muromsky’s acquaintances told Reuters he was a web developer who helped them with their business websites.

There is no official comment from the US

Russia has told Washington directly what it did against the group, the FSB said. The US ambassador to Moscow said he could not immediately be reached for comment.

“The investigation based on a request from … United States,” the FSB said. “… The terrorist organization has ceased to exist and the information used on the terrorists has been abolished.”

REN TV showed pictures of agents entering the house and arresting people, pushing them down, and seizing large piles of Russian dollars and rubles.

The gang members are being prosecuted and could face up to seven years in prison, the FSB said.

An expert in the matter told Russian news agency Interfax that the members of the group who are Russian citizens are not being offered in the United States.

The U.S. said in November it was offering a prize of up to $ 10m for information leading to recognition or where anyone with a major role in the REvil group is involved.

The country has been hit by cybercriminals who demand ransom. A source close to the matter told Reuters in June that REvil was suspicious of the attack on the world’s largest animal transport company, JBS SA.

Washington has repeatedly criticized the Russian government in the past for its cyberbullying, which Moscow denies. EXPERIENCES did not coincide with any major attacks for months.

Muromsky, who was arrested on Friday, is in his early 30’s and was born in Anapa in southern Russia, his client told Reuters. “It worked like a normal program.”

Another aide, Adam Guzuyev, described Muromsky as a “common worker” who could not get everything Guzuyev wanted on his page.

“They did not receive less than 60,000 rubles. I would not say they have any intelligence,” he said.