US imposes sanctions on 2 members of Russian hacktivist group

By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - The US Treasury Department announced Friday it imposed sanctions on two members of the Russian hacktivist group Cyber Army of Russia Reborn (CARR) for their roles in cyber operations against the US' critical infrastructure.

Yuliya Vladimirovna Pankratova and Denis Olegovich Degtyarenko are the group’s leader and a primary hacker, respectively, it said in a statement.

CARR, which also uses the name Cyber Army of Russia, has conducted low-impact, DDoS attacks in Ukraine and against governments and companies located in countries that have supported Ukraine since 2022, according to the statement.

The group started in late 2023 to claim attacks on the industrial control systems of multiple US and European critical infrastructure targets. Using various techniques, it has been responsible for manipulating industrial control system equipment at water supply, hydroelectric, wastewater, and energy facilities in the US and Europe.

CARR claimed responsibility in January this year for the overflow of water storage tanks in Abernathy and Muleshoe, Texas, posting video of the manipulation of human-machine interfaces at each facility on a public forum, said the statement.

The compromise of the industrial control systems resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of gallons of water, it said, adding "Additionally, CARR compromised the supervisory control and data acquisition system of a U.S. energy company, giving them control over the alarms and pumps for tanks in that system."

"CARR and its members’ efforts to target our critical infrastructure represent an unacceptable threat to our citizens and our communities, with potentially dangerous consequences," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson.