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German Detectives Add 2024 London Hospital Hack to Probe of Detained Russian Suspect

German police have detained a 28-year-old Russian man accused of belonging to the Qilin ransomware group, and German detectives are now examining his alleged role in the 2024 attack on blood-testing provider Synnovis that disrupted London hospitals and was linked to a patient's death. British police are separately examining whether their own inquiry could lead to an unlawful-killing case.

By admin Oct. 17, 2026 · 6:43 AM ET 2 min read

A dark data center corridor lined with glowing server racks, with a silhouetted figure walking in the distance.
A dark data center corridor lined with glowing server racks, with a silhouetted figure walking in the distance.

German police have detained a 28-year-old Russian man accused of being a core member of the Qilin cyber-crime group, and the BBC reported that German detectives are now including the 2024 attack on blood-testing provider Synnovis in their investigation of the man and his associates.

Separately, British police are examining whether their own inquiry could lead to an unlawful-killing case, the BBC reported, potentially a first of its kind in cyber-crime.

An anonymous hooded figure seated at a computer with a glowing monitor in a dark room.
Anonymous hooded figure at a computer

The suspect, named in German reporting as Vladimir K., was arrested in Japan in May after traveling there on holiday, after officials learned of his plans in advance, according to the BBC. He had been wanted in Germany over a separate incident in September 2024, when a logistics company had its data encrypted and was pressed to pay about $160,000 in cryptocurrency.

Hands typing on a laptop keyboard in front of a blurred glowing screen.
Hands typing on a laptop keyboard

Qilin’s extortion campaign

Investigators describe Qilin as a core operation behind a very large extortion campaign. Officials say the group has targeted more than 4,000 organizations since 2024 and taken more than $140 million from victims, according to the BBC. The group has been tracked since 2022 and has also been connected to the disruptive attack on Japanese drinks maker Asahi in October 2025.

The attack that disrupted London hospitals

The London incident began on June 3, 2024, when Synnovis, a pathology partnership serving hospital trusts, was hit and a critical incident was declared. Blood transfusion work was badly affected, operations were canceled, emergency patients were sent elsewhere, and more than 10,000 appointments were disrupted over the following weeks, the BBC reported. The group later published private data online after no ransom was paid.

The exterior of a modern hospital building with an ambulance parked at the entrance.
Modern hospital building with ambulance

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust confirmed a year later that one patient had died unexpectedly, and its review identified several contributing factors, including a long wait for a blood test result. The case has been described as the first time a cyber attack was directly connected to a death.

Reporting based on coverage by BBC News and DataBreaches.Net.

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