In one of the most high-profile cybercrime pursuits in recent years, European and American authorities have escalated their hunt for a Ukrainian fugitive believed to be the mastermind behind a ransomware syndicate responsible for billions of dollars in damages worldwide. Volodymyr Tymoshchuk, a 37-year-old Ukrainian national, has been placed on the European Union’s Most Wanted list, accused of orchestrating the deployment of LockerGoga, MegaCortex, and Nefilim ransomware strains that crippled industries, disrupted supply chains, and exposed sensitive data across multiple continents.

The move marks a major escalation in transatlantic cooperation against ransomware groups, which officials now describe as one of the gravest threats to global economic stability and national security.

Tymoshchuk, who also operated under online aliases including “deadforz,” “Boba,” “msfv,” and “farnetwork,” is wanted in multiple jurisdictions for leading what investigators describe as a “multinational cybercrime enterprise.” According to Europol, his organization functioned much like a corporate entity, with distinct roles for software developers, hackers, intrusion specialists, and financial operatives who laundered ransom payments through layered offshore networks and cryptocurrencies.

The fugitive first drew international attention in 2019 during the catastrophic ransomware attack on Norsk Hydro, a Norwegian........

© Blitz