$BTC
Russia Cracks Down on Illegal Crypto Mining as Energy Theft Surges
Utility engineers investigating a sudden surge in electricity usage recently uncovered a mobile cryptocurrency mining operation concealed inside a vehicle. Upon opening the rear doors, they found 95 mining rigs wired to a mobile transformer and illegally connected to a 10-kilovolt feeder—enough power to supply an entire village. Two individuals associated with the setup fled the scene in an SUV before law enforcement arrived.
According to local utility Buryatenergo, this marks the sixth case of electricity theft for crypto mining detected in 2025. The company warns that unauthorized connections are placing significant strain on rural power infrastructure, leading to brownouts and increasing the risk of blackouts.
Regional regulations already prohibit mining activity during the winter months—from November 15 to March 15—and limit operations during the rest of the year to licensed firms in designated districts.
This local crackdown reflects broader national efforts to curb illegal mining. In late 2024, authorities in Moscow imposed seasonal mining bans in high-demand regions such as Dagestan, Chechnya, and Russian-occupied areas of eastern Ukraine. In April 2025, the Irkutsk region—once a mining hub due to its low-cost hydroelectric power—was placed under a full-year mining ban, despite being home to BitRiver’s flagship data center.
The illegal mining problem extends beyond physical theft. Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky recently linked the hacker group "Librarian Ghouls" to a cryptojacking campaign that infiltrated hundreds of Russian PCs via malicious email attachments. The malware deactivated Windows Defender, mined cryptocurrencies during nighttime hours, and exfiltrated saved passwords.
Together, these incidents underscore an escalating conflict between Russian authorities and a growing crypto underground that seeks to exploit cheap or stolen energy for unregulated profits.