Russia may be Pressing Arrested Cyber Criminals into Service

Since early 2022 Russian law enforcement conducted high-profile arrests of cybercriminal groups (including REvil and carding shops), but following the February 24 invasion of Ukraine the cyber landscape shifted: coordination with Western partners was suspended, Russia reportedly conducted hundreds of cyberattacks against Ukraine, and analysts warn that arrested hackers or imprisoned IT specialists may be co-opted to support Russian government-sponsored operations — potentially repurposing criminal tools and techniques against Ukraine and its supporters.