Justice Department unveils new charges in alleged Russia-backed cyberattacks

WASHINGTON, Dec ‌9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday unveiled additional federal ‍criminal charges ‌against a Ukrainian national accused of participating in cyberattacks and other ⁠computer intrusions against key infrastructure in ‌support of Russian interests.

The defendant, Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova, 33, was charged in a second indictment in the federal court in Los Angeles for her alleged support ⁠for a group the Justice Department identified as NoName057(16).

Dubranova earlier this year was extradited to ​the United States on charges tied to a ‌group federal authorities named as the ⁠CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn (CARR).

Dubranova has been charged in the indictments with conspiracy to damage protected computers.

She has pleaded not guilty in both cases, the Justice ​Department said, and is scheduled for a February 2026 trial in the NoName matter and April for the matter involving CARR.

A defense lawyer for Dubranova was not immediately reachable for comment.

“Today’s actions demonstrate the Department’s ​commitment ‍to disrupting malicious Russian ​cyber activity - whether conducted directly by state actors or their criminal proxies,” John Eisenberg, assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department’s national security division, said in a statement.

Prosecutors have alleged Russia backed CARR and NoName with financial support.

A representative from the Russian embassy in the United ⁠States was not immediately reached for comment.

Federal officials said the alleged cyberattacks targeted services including food and water ​systems, and posed national security risks. NoName has claimed credit for hundreds of cyberattacks around the world, prosecutors said.

The U.S. State Department is offering potential rewards of up to $2 million for ‌information on individuals associated with CARR and up to $10 million for information on individuals associated with NoName.

(Reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by Michael Perry)