PANews reported on February 18 that according to RIA Novosti, in 2024, the Russian power company "Rosseti" suffered losses of more than 1.3 billion rubles due to illegal access to the power grid and unmetered electricity consumption by "black miners". Among them, "Rosseti North Caucasus" suffered the largest loss, exceeding 600 million rubles; "Rosseti Novosibirsk" lost 400 million rubles; "Rosseti Central and Volga" lost 120 million rubles.

The company reported that 130 cases of illegal access had been investigated and referred to law enforcement agencies, and more than 40 criminal cases had been initiated, involving crimes that carry real prison sentences. Illegal mining also overloads the power grid, causing low voltage that can damage equipment and appliances. For example, in the village of Chapayevsk in the North Caucasus, the power company and law enforcement found nearly 200 mining machines consuming more than 12,000 kWh of electricity.

In addition, illegal mines are not only found in industrial areas, but also in a variety of locations, from containers on rented land to underground parking lots in residential areas. The largest case occurred in Novosibirsk, where more than 3,200 mining machines were seized, and the loss of electricity theft reached 197 million rubles. The suspects have been detained.