U.S. charges foreign national in cyberattacks targeting water systems

Federal authorities have charged a Ukrainian national in connection with cyberattacks that targeted U.S. critical infrastructure, including public drinking water systems. The indictments allege that Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova supported two Russia-linked groups—CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn and NoName057(16)—that carried out destructive intrusions on industrial control systems and triggered drinking water spills across multiple states. Trials are scheduled for early 2026.

EPA officials underscored the severity of cybersecurity threats facing the water sector. “The defendant’s illegal actions to tamper with the nation’s public water systems put communities and the nation’s drinking water resources at risk,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Craig Pritzlaff in a press release. The case is part of a broader federal initiative to disrupt Russian cyberactivity, with authorities offering a $2 million reward for information tied to the attacks.

This article originally ran as "EPA: Ukrainian national charged in Russian-linked cyberattacks on U.S. water systems" on WaterWorld, an Endeavor B2B partner site.