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Germany’s BKA has named “Stern,” the previously unidentified ransomware kingpin, as Vitaly Kovalev, a 36-year-old Russian national believed to have led the Trickbot and Conti criminal networks. The May 2025 disclosure, coming despite Kovalev already being under U.S. indictment, was intended to remove his anonymity and intensify international efforts to bring him to justice.