On December 9, the Justice Department announced indictments against a Ukrainian woman working for two Russian state-sponsored hacking groups that attacked America’s critical infrastructure—including the drinking water systems that your communities depend on.
Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova, 33, was extradited to the United States and charged with leading cyberattacks that damaged water treatment facilities across multiple states, spoiled meat at a Los Angeles facility, and targeted U.S. election infrastructure.
This isn’t some distant cyber threat happening in a server farm overseas. This is hackers—backed by the Russian government—directly attacking the systems that keep your water running and your food safe.
What Actually Happened
Two Russian state-backed hacking groups operated under different names: the Cyber Army of Russia Reborn (CARR) and NoName057(16) (NoName). Both were funded and directed by Russian military intelligence. Both targeted American critical infrastructure. Both caused real, measurable damage.
CARR attacked public drinking water systems across several U.S. states, damaging controls and spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of clean water. In November 2024, CARR hacked a meat processing facility in Los Angeles, spoiling thousands of pounds of meat and triggering an ammonia leak that forced evacuations.
They also attacked U.S. election infrastructure during elections. They targeted websites for nuclear regulatory agencies. They attacked power grids and transportation systems.
This wasn’t random. This was coordinated. This was state-sponsored.
How It Was Organized
CARR had more than 100 members at times, including juveniles, and over 75,000 followers on Telegram. The group received direct orders from a GRU officer—Russian military intelligence—on what targets to attack. The Russian government provided the money to buy access to hacking tools.
NoName operated similarly but with a different structure. It was a covert project run partly by Russian government employees. The group recruited volunteers worldwide to download a hacking tool called DDoSia and use their computers to launch attacks. They paid top attackers in cryptocurrency. They published daily leaderboards of who launched the most successful attacks.
This wasn’t amateur hour. This was an organized, funded, state-directed operation.
Why This Matters
When hackers attack your water system, people don’t get safe drinking water. When they attack food facilities, contaminated meat reaches stores. When they attack election infrastructure, confidence in democratic processes gets undermined. When they attack nuclear regulatory sites, you’re talking about national security.
The Russian government wasn’t just tolerating these groups. They were funding them. They were directing them. They were using hackers as proxies to wage war against American infrastructure without officially declaring war.
Dubranova’s Role
Dubranova played a central role in CARR operations. She’s facing charges including conspiracy to damage protected computers, tampering with public water systems, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, she faces up to 27 years in federal prison.
She was extradited to the United States earlier this year. Trials are scheduled for early 2026.
The Bigger Picture: Russia’s Cyber War Strategy
This is how modern conflict works. Russia can’t defeat America militarily. But they can wage asymmetric warfare through cyberattacks. They fund hacker groups. They give them targets. They create deniability by saying these are “independent hacktivists.”
But the evidence is clear: the Russian government was backing these operations. Russian military intelligence was directing them. Russian money was funding them.
What the Government Is Doing
The Justice Department is prosecuting. The FBI is investigating through something called Operation Red Circus, a coordinated effort to disrupt Russian state-sponsored cyber threats. The State Department is offering rewards—up to $2 million for information on CARR members and up to $10 million for NoName members.
Federal agencies also issued a joint cybersecurity advisory warning about how these groups operate. They typically attack undefended internet-connected computers to gain access to critical infrastructure controls. Once inside, they can cause widespread damage.
What This Means for You
If you get your water from a public system, that system was a potential target. If you buy food at a grocery store, food processing facilities were attacked. If you vote, election infrastructure was targeted.
These aren’t hypothetical threats. These are real attacks that happened. The government is now fighting back by prosecuting the attackers and working to disrupt their operations.
The Warning
The Justice Department’s message is clear: Russia-backed hackers targeting American infrastructure will be pursued. They will be extradited. They will be prosecuted. The U.S. government is watching, coordinating internationally, and holding people accountable.
But the threat isn’t going away. As long as Russia sees value in sponsoring cyber attacks, they’ll continue. That’s why the government is publicizing these cases—to expose Russian tactics, warn critical infrastructure operators, and make clear that the consequences are real.
One Ukrainian woman is now in federal custody facing decades in prison. But she’s just one person. The real battle is between the Russian state and American infrastructure security.
That battle is ongoing.
Key Players:
- Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova – Arrested, facing trial Feb. 3 and April 7, 2026
- CARR (Cyber Army of Russia Reborn) – Funded and directed by GRU (Russian military intelligence)
- NoName057(16) – State-sanctioned project run partly by Russian government employees
- Targets: U.S. water systems, food processing, election infrastructure, nuclear agencies, power grids
Rewards Offered:
- Up to $2 million for information on CARR members
- Up to $10 million for information on NoName members
