Russian energy company Rosseti said that in 2024, damage from the actions of illegal miners exceeded 1,3 billion rubles.
The most affected were Rosseti North Caucasus, where losses from «black» miners amounted to 600 million rubles. Next in terms of damage amount were Rosseti Novosibirsk — 400 million rubles, Rosseti Center and Volga Region — 120 million rubles.
The work of illegal miners has become one of the main reasons for low voltage in the network, which residents of some regions of Russia have complained about.
For example, in an ordinary warehouse in the village of Chapaevskoye in the north of Karachay-Cherkessia, power engineers and law enforcement officers discovered almost 200 mining systems that “burned” more than 12 thousand kWh of electricity during their operation. The basis for the inspection was a sharp increase in consumption and complaints from residents of neighboring houses, the Rosseti report says.
In total, 2024 cases of illegal use of electricity for cryptocurrency mining were identified in 130. According to the energy company, Russian law enforcement officers have opened more than 40 criminal cases, which carry real prison sentences.
The largest case was recorded in Novosibirsk, where more than 3 mining devices belonging to one owner were found. The theft of electricity was carried out on an industrial scale, as the damage is estimated at 200 million rubles. During the investigation, the offender was placed in custody as a preventive measure, Rosseti said.