Nefilim and Hive ransomware affiliate sentenced to 70 months in prison
His actions caused more than 1,500 victims worldwide and over $100 million in losses.
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- Artem Stryzhak received a 70-month prison sentence for ransomware attacks linked to Nefilim and Hive.
- Hive attacks affected about 1,500 victims worldwide, including businesses, hospitals, and government entities.
- Prosecutors said Stryzhak deployed Hive ransomware against seven victims, including law firms and a healthcare provider.
- Officials said the groups disrupted patient care and caused more than $100 million in losses.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
A Ukrainian national has to spend the next 5 years and 10 months in jail for his role as a Nefilim and Hive affiliate.
According to court documents, 36-year-old Artem Stryzhak carried out ransomware attacks on behalf of multiple ransomware extortion groups in the United States and other countries, dealing significant damage to victims’ computer systems.
In June 2021, Stryzhak joined Nefilim as an affiliate, giving him access to Nefilim ransomware. He agreed to pay the Nefilim administrators 20% of the ransom proceeds extorted from victims.
Stryzhak conspired with the Nefilim ransomware actors until at least October 2021.
The Ukrainian national separately joined the Hive ransomware group as one of its earliest affiliates. From June 2021 to January 2023, Hive attacked approximately 1,500 victims across the globe, including businesses, hospitals, and government entities.
In his role as a Hive affiliate, Stryzhak deployed Hive ransomware against 7 victims, including multiple law firms and a healthcare provider during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was unable to accept new patients following the attack.
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The FBI provided a decryption key to one of Stryzhak’s victims, allowing him to decrypt his data without paying a ransom.
Stryzhak was arrested in Spain in June 2024 and extradited to the United States in April 2025. A few months later, in December 2025, Stryzhak pleaded guilty to committing fraud, extortion, and carrying out a series of ransomware attacks.
Stryzhak has now been sentenced to 70 months in prison. In the worst-case scenario, the court could have sentenced Stryzhak to 10 years in prison.
His co-conspirator, Volodymyr Viktorovych Tymoshchuk, remains at large and is the subject of an $11 million reward offered by the United States Department of State.
“Artem Stryzhak is a prolific cybercriminal who worked with multiple ransomware groups to target US businesses and hospitals. These groups disrupted patient care and caused more than $100 million in losses. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Stryzhak’s crimes and demonstrates the FBI’s global reach and extensive network of international partners,” Operations Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Branch said in a statement.
