The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of individuals engaged in malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure, acting under the direction or control of a foreign government. This reward applies to cyber activities that violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and are particularly concerning for the security of U.S. infrastructure in sectors such as energy, aerospace, and government.
The RFJ program has specifically named five Russian military intelligence officers associated with Unit 29155 of the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU): Vladislav Borovkov (Боровков Владислав), Denis Igorevich Denisenko (Денисенко Денис Игоревич), Yuriy Denisov (Денисов Юрий), Dmitriy Yuryevich Goloshubov (Голошубов Дмитрий Юрьевич), and Nikolay Aleksandrovich Korchagin (Корчагин Николай Александрович). These officers are alleged to have carried out a range of destructive cyber operations targeting U.S. and allied critical infrastructure.
These GRU officers have been implicated in deploying “WhisperGate” malware to compromise computer systems linked to Ukrainian critical infrastructure. This malware was employed as part of a coordinated attack against Ukrainian government agencies and private sector organizations in the lead-up to Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The WhisperGate malware attacks disrupted Ukrainian government operations and aimed to weaken the country’s digital defenses in preparation for military action.
Beyond their operations in Ukraine, these GRU operatives are believed to have conducted extensive cyber reconnaissance against U.S. critical infrastructure, scanning for vulnerabilities, mapping networks, and identifying weak points, particularly within the energy, government, and aerospace sectors. The State Department states that these actions represent not just an attack on specific systems but a broader threat to national security.
These GRU-affiliated officers are also linked to cyberattacks against critical infrastructure in dozens of Western allied countries, expanding their operations beyond Ukraine and the United States to include various nations in Europe and other regions. The officers reportedly use malware and unauthorized access to victimize foreign systems for the strategic benefit of Russia, often disabling or damaging critical services and compromising sensitive information.
The Rewards for Justice program encourages anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts or operations of Borovkov, Denisenko, Denisov, Goloshubov, and Korchagin, as well as insights into GRU Unit 29155’s broader cyber activities, to come forward. This offer of a financial reward aims to dismantle networks that jeopardize both U.S. and international infrastructure through cyber warfare.
The Rewards for Justice program, a longstanding initiative of the U.S. Department of State, offers monetary rewards for actionable intelligence leading to the disruption of activities that threaten U.S. security. By incentivizing the public to provide information, RFJ seeks to enhance national security and uphold cybersecurity protections on a global scale.
Individuals with information related to these Russian operatives are encouraged to contact Rewards for Justice.