A federal court in Indiana sentenced a Russian cybercriminal to 81 months in prison on charges related to his role as an initial access broker for ransomware groups.
Aleksei Volkov, 26, of St. Petersburg, Russia, pleaded guilty in November 2025 to six federal charges stemming from his work with the Yanluowang ransomware group and other cybercriminal organizations between July 2021 and November 2022. He was arrested in Rome and subsequently extradited to the United States.
Volkov, also known as “chubaka.kor,” operated as an initial access broker, a specialized role in which he identified and exploited vulnerabilities in corporate networks and sold that access to ransomware operators. The function has become increasingly common in the ransomware ecosystem, enabling criminals to profit from attacks without directly deploying malware or executing extortion demands.
According to court documents, Volkov facilitated dozens of attacks that resulted in more than $9 million in confirmed losses to victims and over $24 million in intended losses. Prosecutors identified seven specific U.S. businesses targeted during the 16-month period, including an engineering firm and a bank. Two victims paid a combined $1.5 million in ransom payments.
The Yanluowang ransomware group employed tactics beyond simple data encryption. Victims reported receiving harassing phone calls and experiencing distributed denial of service attacks after their data was stolen, representing an evolution in how ransomware operators apply pressure to targets.
Volkov received compensation through either flat fees for providing network access or percentages of ransom payments collected from victims. When victims refused to pay, conspirators published stolen data on leak websites designed to shame companies and potentially encourage future victims to comply with demands.
His guilty plea covered charges filed in two separate jurisdictions that were later consolidated, including unlawful transfer of a means of identification, trafficking in access information, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
As part of his sentence, Volkov must pay full restitution to victims, including at least $9.1 million to identified companies, and forfeit equipment used in his criminal activities.
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