A botnet is a network of compromised computers used to carry out cyber attacks. “The Russian government has recently used similar infrastructure to attack Ukrainian targets,” Garland told reporters at the Justice Department. “Fortunately, we were able to shut down this botnet before it could be used. Thanks to our close cooperation with international partners, we were able to detect the infection of thousands of network hardware devices. “Then we were able to turn off the GRU [the military intelligence agency] check these devices before arming the botnet. “ The attorney general also announced charges against Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev for violating sanctions. He said the billionaire had previously been identified as a source of funding for Russians promoting autonomy in Crimea and providing support to the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine. “Following US sanctions, Malofeyev sought to circumvent sanctions by using conspiracies to gain access to and direct media across Europe,” Garland said. The indictment is the first of a Russian oligarch in the US after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In a related move, a federal court in New York’s southern suburbs has opened a criminal case against television producer John Hanick, 71, an American national accused of violating sanctions and making false statements over his years of work for Malofeyev. Matthew Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Department of the Ministry of Justice, stated: , in violation of these sanctions “. Last month, Garland, America’s top law enforcement official, announced the launch of the KleptoCapture Task Force, an interdepartmental law enforcement team dedicated to imposing sweeping sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. He swore on Wednesday: “Our message to those who continue to allow the Russian regime through their criminal behavior is this: it does not matter how far you sail your yacht, it does not matter how well you hide your assets, it does not matter how cleverly you write your malware or hide your internet activity. “The justice department will use every tool available to find you, disrupt your conspiracies and hold you accountable.” Garland, whose grandparents fled anti-Semitism on the borders of western Russia and eastern Europe more than a century ago, acknowledged the horrific images that emerged from Bukha in Ukraine last week. “We saw the corpses of civilians, some with their hands tied, scattered in the streets. We have seen the mass graves. We saw the bombed apartment buildings of the hospital, the theater and the houses. “People are watching what is happening in Ukraine. The Justice Department sees what is happening in Ukraine. “This department has a long history of helping those who commit war crimes to be held accountable.” He noted that one of his predecessors, Attorney General Robert Jackson, later served as US Attorney General at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II. “Today, we are assisting in international efforts to identify and hold accountable those responsible for the atrocities in Ukraine, and we will continue to do so.”
