Threats · 105 days ago
U.S. authorities are now treating bulletproof hosting as a criminal infrastructure problem, not just a sanctions issue. That matters because the service layer is what makes abuse scalable: if a provider can quietly rent out normal-looking internet space to criminals, it can support phishing, brute force, malware, and ransomware until it is forced offline or stripped of anonymity.
Federal prosecutors unsealed charges against Alexander Alexandrovich Volosovik, Yulia Vladimirovna Pankova, Kirill Andreevich Zatolokin, Media Land, and ML.Cloud. The case ties the providers to cybercrime affecting at least 21 U.S. states and other countries, with losses above $62 million, and the State Department is offering up to $10 million for information tied to the network.
The shift from sanctions pressure to public prosecution raises the stakes for the hosts that sit upstream of campaign traffic. For defenders who track abuse from bulletproof hosting, the important change is that disruption can now come through criminal process and informant pressure, not just financial restriction.
5 sources covering this story
Russian trio indicted for allegedly running bulletproof hosting providers that spurred cybercrime
Officials accused three Russian nationals, Media Land and ML.Cloud of supporting cyberattacks spanning 21 U.S.
The 2024 indictment, now unsealed, accuses three Russians and two web hosts of aiding hackers and profiting from cybercrime.
US Charges Russian Individuals and Firms for Running Cybercrime Services
The suspects and their companies were previously sanctioned by the United States and its allies.
US charges alleged operators of Russian bulletproof hosting service
federal prosecutors have unsealed charges against three Russian nationals, accusing them of providing bulletproof hosting (BPH) services to ransomware gangs that caused over $62 million in damages to victims worldwide.
The Record from Recorded Future
US unseals indictment against alleged operators of Russian bulletproof hosting service
Petersburg-based business Media Land and a sister company, ML Cloud.
Part of the PlainSec briefing for 2026-07-17