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Rostislav Panev, a dual Russian-Israeli national, has been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice for his role as a developer within the LockBit ransomware group. He allegedly developed code for disabling antivirus software, spreading malware, and creating ransom notes. The U.S. is seeking his extradition from Israel, where he was arrested in August. The LockBit group, which emerged in 2019, has been responsible for over 2,500 victims across 120 countries, causing over $500 million in ransom payments. Law enforcement seized part of their infrastructure in February but they managed to relaunch soon after.