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Europe Uncovers Names of Russian Hacker Group Members Funded by the Kremlin
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![Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk]( "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
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European law enforcement agencies have uncovered and dismantled a pro-Russian hacker network responsible for attacking critical EU infrastructure on July 18.
It has been revealed that the cybercrime network NoName057(16) is closely linked to an IT structure created by the Kremlin under Putin’s orders, called the Center for Youth Studies and Network Monitoring (CYSNM), reports Europol.
The group’s leaders, Mikhail Burlakov and Maxim Lupin, are key figures at CYSNM, which has already been allocated over 2 billion rubles from Russia’s state budget.
Those involved included:
Burlakov – A cybersecurity associate professor with ties to Rosneft and Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.
Lupin – A former employee of “Combat Brotherhood” and IT companies close to the Kremlin.
Evstratova (21) – A graduate from the Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering, Electronics, and Automation, who participated in hackathons.
Abrosimov – A mechanic from Novodvinsk responsible for 83 episodes of cyber sabotage.
Muravyov – A pro-war artist who designed hacker logos and propaganda materials.
The group, which disguised its activities under the pretense of “fighting youth destructiveness,” was actively involved in coordinating DDoS attacks across Europe. Now, these “internet defenders” are under investigation by Europol.
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Multiple European countries and European agencies have participated in this operation against the pro-Russian cybercrime network, nicknamed Operation Eastwood. Ukraine is listed as one of the supporting countries.
The operation has led to two arrests—one preliminary arrest in France and another in Spain—and the issuance of seven arrest warrants, including six by Germany and one by Spain. Authorities conducted 24 house searches across Europe: two in Czechia, one in France, three in Germany, five in Italy, twelve in Spain, and one in Poland.
Thirteen individuals were questioned in connection with the case, including two in Germany, one in France, four in Italy, one in Poland, and five in Spain. More than 1,000 supporters—15 of whom were administrators—were notified of their legal liability via a messaging app.
Globally, over 100 servers were disrupted, and a significant portion of NoName057(16)’s core infrastructure was taken offline.
Earlier, it was reported that Dutch intelligence had uncovered Russian cyber espionage operations aimed at gathering information on Western military production and procurement, including systems designated for Ukraine.
