Who was recently extradited to the U.S. for cyberattacks linked to LockBit?
The U.S. has officially extradited Rostislav Panev, a 51-year-old dual citizen of Russia and Israel, accused of being a core developer behind one of the world’s most destructive ransomware gangs: LockBit.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Panev was involved with LockBit since its formation in 2019, helping craft the malicious software used to extort thousands of victims across 120 countries — including over 1,800 targets in the United States.
LockBit is believed to be behind 2,500 cyberattacks, targeting hospitals, schools, corporations, and government institutions. U.S. prosecutors say Panev was not just a coder but an architect of the group’s ransomware framework, designed to encrypt systems and demand payments in exchange for restoring access.
The extradition marks another major development in the global crackdown on cybercrime, as international law enforcement agencies collaborate to dismantle sophisticated hacking operations.
