Russian hacker facing US extradition over cybercrime allegations

A Russian hacker who was arrested and detained in the resort Island of Phuket in Thailand is awaiting extradition to the United States. According to reports, the Russian Embassy in Thailand is seeking access to a Russian citizen at the request of the United States over suspected cybercrimes.

“At the moment, we are clarifying the circumstances of this case and working with the Thai side to arrange consular access,” embassy representative Ilya Ilyin told Russia’s state news agency TASS.

The Thai police confirmed to TASS that the Russian national was arrested in collaboration with United States authorities and later transferred to Bangkok. According to local media reports, the suspect is being held pending when he will be cleared for extradition to the United States.

Russian hacker faces extradition to the US

Earlier this week, several local outlets reported that the police had detained a famous hacker who had been hiding out in Thailand after launching cyberattacks on government agencies in Europe and the United States. The 35-year-old was arrested following a tip-off from the US Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI alerted Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) to the suspect’s presence in the country.

In the statement given by Police Lieutenant General Surapol Prembutr, Commissioner of the CCIB, the criminal has previously infiltrated high-security systems and launched several cyberattacks on multiple state institutions. The police lieutenant claimed that the criminal had earned notoriety among global law enforcement agencies because of his activities. The Russian was said to have entered Thailand on October 30, 2025.

The suspect entered the country through the Phuket International Airport and was traced to a hotel in the Thalang District. In response to the tip-off, Thai police, in a coordinated effort with the Immigration Bureau, Tourist Police Division, Forensic Police Office, the Office of the Attorney General, and local units, carried out their investigations and prepared for the arrest. A warrant was obtained under Thailand’s Extradition Act of 2008, claiming that the foreign national was wanted.

The operation was carried out by the joint task force, including immigration officers and local police. They raided the hotel room and apprehended the individual. Several electronic devices were confiscated for forensic analysis. FBI agents were also present during the duration of the operation as observers, highlighting the international significance of the case. The suspect was transferred into custody while the formal extradition process started.

Russian media speculates on the identity of the suspect

Thai police said that several laptops, mobile phones, and digital wallets were seized in the raid. Meanwhile, the identity of the suspect and the specific crimes he committed remain unknown. However, Russian outlet Vot Tak has reported that among the military hackers wanted by the FBI, only Aleksey Lukashev, a GRU officer accused of taking part in the 2016 US election interference, matches the age provided by the police.

Lukashev is listed as a senior lieutenant in Russia’s military intelligence agency. He was among 12 GRU agents indicted in the United States for hacking political organizations and leaking stolen data as part of the group tracked as APT28, Fancy Bear, and BlueDelta. However, it remains unclear if Lukashev is the same individual who has now been detained by Thai officials.

The arrest comes after a series of detentions of Russian nationals in Thailand accused of cybercriminal offenses. In February, the Thai police announced the arrest of four Russians wanted in Switzerland and the United States in connection with several crimes. The Russians were accused of deploying ransomware attacks against more than 17 companies in Switzerland and demanding multimillion-dollar payments.