Cyber police neutralized BlackSuit network that demanded $60 million

As part of an international operation by law enforcement agencies from several countries, the BlackSuit ransomware network was dismantled, which demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency from its victims.

Criminals from the BlackSuit group created a ransomware program that encrypted data on victims’ computers and demanded cryptocurrency for its recovery. Operatives of the Cyber Police Department joined the international operation codenamed Checkmate, which was aimed at stopping the actions of BlackSuit. The Cyber Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine reported this.

The operation was carried out in cooperation with the US Homeland Security Service, the Dutch National Police, the German Criminal Police Office, the UK National Crime Agency, the Frankfurt Prosecutor General’s Office, the US Department of Justice, Europol, and law enforcement agencies in other countries, including the Romanian cybersecurity company Bitdefender.

During the operation, law enforcement officers successfully stopped BlackSuit’s cybercriminal activities and confiscated its websites in one of the domain zones.

During the investigation, it was found that the group changed its name several times: since January 2022, they operated under the name Quantum, later Royal (2022–2023), from 2023 – BlackSuit, and in 2025, they planned to switch to the name Chaos.

The total amount of ransom demands made by the group exceeded $500 million, with the most significant single demand being $60 million.

The primary targets of the criminals’ attacks were commercial and state organizations outside the CIS, in particular in the USA, Europe, and Japan. In Ukraine, criminal proceedings were opened for their actions for unauthorized interference in the operation of information systems, which provides for a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.

Additionally, Ukrainian and European law enforcement officers exposed a man who was sending out false messages about the bombing of educational institutions abroad.