Armenian man pleads guilty to deploying Ryuk ransomware

Bleeping Computer reports that Karen Serobovich Vardanyan, a 34-year-old Armenian national, has pleaded guilty in the United States to charges related to deploying the Ryuk ransomware.

Vardanyan was extradited to the U.S. after his arrest in Kyiv in April 2025 for providing initial access to corporate networks. Between November 2019 and April 2020, he and his co-conspirators illegally accessed U.S. company networks and deployed Ryuk ransomware, encrypting systems. Prosecutors noted attacks against a Michigan company that paid over $1.1 million in Bitcoin, a technology company in Oregon, and a school in Texas. The group received approximately 1,610 bitcoins in ransom payments, valued at around $15 million at the time.

The Ryuk operation, active from 2018 to mid-2020, targeted numerous sectors, including healthcare. Many Ryuk members later joined the Conti ransomware operation. Vardanyan faces up to 15 years in prison and has agreed to pay over $1.1 million in restitution. He is scheduled for sentencing in September 2026.

Source: Bleeping Computer