Russian cyber espionage suspect arrested in Phuket pleads not guilty in US court

Denis Obrezko, a 36-year-old Russian man arrested in Phuket last year, pleaded not guilty on Thursday during a virtual hearing before a federal magistrate judge in Boston after being extradited to the United States.

According to a Reuters report published by the Bangkok Post on July 10, US prosecutors allege Obrezko conspired to commit computer fraud as part of a cyber espionage operation known as "Void Blizzard" or "Laundry Bear". The operation allegedly targeted US and European companies, government agencies in NATO member states and organisations supporting Ukraine.

If convicted, Obrezko faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Obrezko was arrested in Phuket in November last year by officers from Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau in a joint operation with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Phuket Immigration and other Thai law enforcement agencies. Thai authorities did not publicly identify the suspect at the time of the arrest, and some international media initially reported that he was believed to be alleged Russian military intelligence officer Aleksey Lukashev.

Russian state media later identified the suspect as Obrezko, then described as a 35-year-old from Stavropol accused of involvement with the Void Blizzard cyber espionage group.

According to the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, Obrezko arrived at Phuket International Airport on Oct. 30, 2025 and was staying at a hotel in Thalang when he was arrested under Thailand’s Extradition Act following a request from US authorities. Officers seized laptops, mobile phones and digital wallets during the operation, while FBI agents observed the search.

The US indictment alleges that Obrezko worked for Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, from 2012 to 2017 before becoming deputy director of technology firm Yutek-NN, which prosecutors claim conducted cyber espionage operations on behalf of the Russian government.

Prosecutors also allege that since at least 2023, Obrezko and associates used fake internet domains, VPNs and proxy servers to steal emails and other data from organisations in the United States and Europe. Court documents further allege that his phone contained AI-generated summaries of more than 13,000 stolen emails from members of an Eastern European parliament.

Obrezko’s lawyer, Max Nemtsev, said he intends to "vigorously contest the charges on both factual and legal grounds".

After his arrest in Phuket, Obrezko remained in Thai custody while extradition proceedings were completed before he was transferred to the United States last month.