ZATAZ » Former Spanish Professor Hunted for Alleged Support of Pro-Russian Hackers

Europol has placed a Spanish academic on its most-wanted fugitives list. Suspected of assisting the pro-Russian group NoName057(16), he faces an international arrest warrant.

Former political science lecturer Enrique Arias Gil is accused of gathering sensitive information on Spanish infrastructure and security forces. He is also suspected of threatening journalists and leaders supportive of Ukraine. The case highlights the link between ideological activism and cyberoperations directed from Russia.

An Academic Turned Europol Target

At 37 years old, Enrique Arias Gil, author of works on extremism, left Spain for Russia with a scholarship from the Russian House, a state-funded cultural institute. According to the national police, he is still believed to be on Russian territory, where judicial cooperation is considered unlikely.
Spain’s National Court has issued an international arrest warrant. The charges range from membership in a criminal organization to glorification of terrorism, as well as committing cyber damage for terrorist purposes.

A Loudspeaker for Pro-Russian Propaganda

Investigators say Arias Gil runs a Telegram channel called Desinformador Ruso, launched in March 2024. There, he shares statements and claims of cyberattacks attributed to NoName057(16) and the Z-Pentest group.
Two days after being placed on Europol’s list, he posted a defiant message aimed at Spanish authorities, demanding they drop the case within ten hours or face the release of compromising documents targeting officials. The threatening tone was directed at Spanish intelligence services.

NoName057(16), a Major Actor in Russia’s Cyberwar

Formed at the start of the Ukraine invasion in 2022, the NoName057(16) collective specializes in DDoS attacks against public institutions and companies in NATO member states. Powered by thousands of volunteers and a botnet of several hundred servers, it is considered one of the most active pro-Russian groups over the past two years.
In July, Operation Eastwood, a joint effort by the European Union and the United States, dismantled around 100 servers and identified more than 1,100 suspected supporters. Spain had already arrested three members linked to the group in 2023 for attacks against strategic sectors.

The Arias Gil case illustrates the slide of an academic into cyberactivism in service of a foreign power. One strategic question remains: how to counter the exploitation of European nationals in Russia’s cyberwar? [ZATAZ News English version]