Наталя ХандусенкоHot News
11 September 2026, 15:21
2026-09-11
In Switzerland, a Ukrainian hacker was sentenced to almost 13 years in prison for cyberattacks worth millions of dollars
The Zurich District Court has sentenced a 52-year-old Ukrainian IT specialist to 12 years and 9 months in prison, with a subsequent ban on entry to Switzerland for 10 years. The defendant was found guilty of developing ransomware and participating in large-scale cyberattacks on a number of companies, including the well-known train manufacturer Stadler Rail. The total losses from the actions of the hacking group are estimated at 100 million Swiss francs (about $123 million).
The Zurich District Court has sentenced a 52-year-old Ukrainian IT specialist to 12 years and 9 months in prison, with a subsequent ban on entry to Switzerland for 10 years. The defendant was found guilty of developing ransomware and participating in large-scale cyberattacks on a number of companies, including the well-known train manufacturer Stadler Rail. The total losses from the actions of the hacking group are estimated at 100 million Swiss francs (about $123 million).
Role in the criminal scheme and extent of damage
A Ukrainian resident of the canton of Basel-Land who has been in custody since October 2021 was the lead developer of the Lockergoga, Megacortex, and Nefilim malware, which were used to encrypt data from affected companies (including Stadler Rail, Meier Tobler, and Crealogix) for the purpose of further extorting ransom.
In the attack on Stadler Rail, criminals stole around 500 gigabytes of confidential documents and threatened to publish them online. The company refused to pay the ransom, but other affected businesses transferred funds to the hackers.
The court found that the Ukrainian was not the organizer of the schemes, but only created malicious code and transferred it to unidentified customers who directly carried out the hacking and coordinated the extortion.
The defense version and the "Russian trace"
The defendant categorically denied the charges, claiming that he was working as a regular cybersecurity consultant for an anonymous client and was unaware of the criminal use of his software. However, the court rejected this testimony because textual templates of ransom demands were found among the data seized from him.
The lawyer demanded full acquittal and compensation for illegal detention, citing procedural violations during the searches.
A separate resonance during the hearings was caused by details about the alleged organizer of the attacks. According to the prosecution, he was another Ukrainian hacker, wanted in the United States, who collaborated with Russian special services and used false documents provided by them. In November 2022, he died in Moscow after falling from a window.
The verdict of the Zurich District Court has not yet entered into force and can be appealed in the appellate court.
The US and Europol are looking for a hacker from Ukraine who organized cyberattacks on several hundred companies around the world. They are ready to pay millions of dollars for information that will help find him
