Artem Stryzhak Sentenced to 70 Months for Links to Nefilim and Hive
A U.S. federal court in Brooklyn sentenced Ukrainian national Artem Stryzhak to 70 months in prison for involvement in the Nefilim and Hive ransomware conspiracies.
Artem Stryzhak was sentenced to 70 months in prison in a U.S. federal court in Brooklyn. The 36-year-old Ukrainian national pleaded guilty in December 2025 to a conspiracy involving computer fraud, extortion and related criminal activity. Judge Pamela K. Chen handed down the sentence on October 27, 2026.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) links Stryzhak to the Nefilim and Hive ransomware operations. The case is part of a cross-border investigation that also focuses on affiliates of groups operating under the ransomware-as-a-service model.
Artem Stryzhak and His Role in Nefilim and Hive
According to the DOJ, Stryzhak worked as a Nefilim ransomware affiliate from approximately June 2021. In exchange for access to the malware, he allegedly gave administrators 20 percent of the ransom collected. The affiliate model typically divides responsibilities between ransomware operators and the people or groups that deploy it against selected organizations.
The DOJ also states that Stryzhak was among Hive’s early affiliates. Together with accomplices, he allegedly deployed the ransomware against seven victims. They included law firms, a dental practice and a healthcare provider.
The department did not quantify the total damage Stryzhak allegedly caused directly in its announcement. In connection with the Hive conspiracy, the DOJ cites approximately 1,500 affected victims, but that number does not relate exclusively to Stryzhak.
Arrest in Spain and Extradition to the United States
Stryzhak was arrested in Spain in June 2024. He was extradited to the United States on April 30, 2025. He pleaded guilty in December 2025, before the October sentencing.
The 70-month sentence represents the specific outcome of prosecuting a person whom U.S. authorities identified as an affiliate. The case therefore also covers actors involved in deploying ransomware and collecting ransoms, not only malware authors or infrastructure administrators.
Investigation of Another Suspect Continues
The DOJ identifies Volodymyr Tymoshchuk as Stryzhak’s indicted co-conspirator. Tymoshchuk remains at large, and his guilt was not finally determined by the judgment against Stryzhak. The U.S. rewards program offers up to $11 million for information leading to his arrest.
Additional court documents or the release of a more detailed judgment could provide more precise information about the extent of the damage and victims’ financial claims. The available DOJ announcement does not yet indicate the total amount of damage directly attributed to Stryzhak.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York – Confirms the date and length of the sentence, the judge, the December 2025 guilty plea, Stryzhak’s role in Nefilim and Hive, the extradition and the status of the co-conspirator investigation.
- The Record – Independently confirms that Stryzhak received a sentence of more than five years after pleading guilty for links to Nefilim and Hive.
Verified and updated: October 28, 2026 15:31
