Convict says Kremlin-linked blackmail led to hack

Infosecurity Magazine reports that Yaroslav Vasinskyi, a convicted affiliate of the REvil ransomware group serving over 13 years in US prison, claims he was coerced by Russian-linked handlers into executing the 2021 Kaseya supply chain attack.

Speaking to Analyst1's Jon DiMaggio over six months, Vasinskyi said he repeatedly tried to leave REvil for moral reasons, citing discomfort over attacks on a church and hospital, the latter allegedly causing a death. He alleged surveillance, threats to his family, and political blackmail by high-ranking former intelligence officials, forcing him to prepare the Kaseya operation. According to Vasinskyi, REvil only provided the ransomware payload, while his state-level handlers ordered the attack for disruption and intelligence gathering, not ransom. The breach crippled over 1,500 companies globally. DiMaggio's DEFCON 33 presentation described a three-tiered structure separating technical execution from command authority, with Vasinskyi suggesting his handlers wielded more influence than REvils government contacts. He maintains he did not deliver the payload himself.