- Illegal Truck-Based Mines: Russian authorities have found Kamaz trucks with 95 mining rigs that steal the power of the village of Beryatia.
- Seasonal Mining No.: Crypto-mining is banned in parts of Russia during peak energy to save electricity.
- Rising Cyber Threat: Hacker group Librarian Ghouls is running a crypto jacking campaign targeting Russian users.
Russian authorities in the Republic of Biryatia have exposed illegal cryptocurrency mining operations, hidden inside a Kamaz truck and carrying stolen electricity intended for a local village. According to state news agency TASS, the discovery was made during routine inspections of 10 kilovolt power lines in the Prebaikalsky area.
Officials from Buryatenergo, a unit of Rosseti Siberia, discovered 95 mining rigs and a mobile transformer station in the truck. The setup drew enough strength to supply the whole small village, highlighting the scale of the theft. The two, believed to be connected to the surgery, fled the scene in an SUV just before police arrived.
This case presents the sixth example of power theft in connection with Belyatia’s cryptocurrency mining since the beginning of the year. Officials warn that these illegal links pose a serious threat to local power grids, increasing the risk of voltage drops, overloads and power outages for residents.
Regional and nationwide crackdown on crypto mining
Located in eastern Siberia, Beryatia is one of several regions in Russia where cryptocurrency mining is restricted due to energy restrictions. Between November 15th and March 15th, all mining activities are prohibited to save electricity during the harsh winter months. Outside this period, only registered entities in designated areas such as Severo-Baikalsky and Muisky districts are permitted to mine ciphers.
Buryatia’s crackdown is in line with a broader federal policy seeking to limit energy-intensive crypto mining in areas where energy has been stopped. In December 2024, Russian authorities announced a new ban on crypto mining at peak times in regions, including parts of eastern Ukraine, which are under Russian control. A complete ban was enacted in the southern Irkutsk region from April 2025.
Despite the restrictions, the Irkutsk region remains an industrial scale crypto mining hub due to its inexpensive hydroelectric power generation. Bitriver, a leading Russian mining company, operates the largest data center in Bratsk, Irkutsk, launched in 2019.
Cybersecurity threats add to the cryptographic challenge
In another development, Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky has identified a group of hackers known as “librarian ghouls” or “rare wolves” behind a cryptojacking campaign that compromised hundreds of Russian computers. Attackers use phishing emails disguised as legitimate documents to install malware that mines cryptocurrency without the user’s knowledge.
The malware has been programmed to disable Windows Defender and perform mining operations from 1am to 5am to avoid detection. During this time, hackers will obtain remote access, steal login credentials, evaluate system capabilities and optimize mining output.
With the rise in cases of both physical and cyber-based illegal crypto mining, Russian authorities are doubling their enforcement and compliance efforts.
