US sanctions Russian company Operation Zero in connection with crypto-funded data theft case

PANews reported on February 25th that, according to The Block, the U.S. Treasury Department's OFAC announced sanctions against the Russian cyber tools company Operation Zero and six individuals, including its head Sergey Zelenyuk, for allegedly endangering U.S. national security by selling cyber exploit tools. The case stems from a Justice Department investigation: Australian Peter Williams admitted to stealing software secrets from a U.S. defense contractor between 2022 and 2025 and selling them to Operation Zero for millions of dollars in crypto assets. This marks the first time the U.S. has imposed sanctions under the Protect U.S. Intellectual Property Act.