Russian Police Find Crypto Mine on Truck Stealing Electricity from Village

• Illegal coal mining using a truck: Russian authorities found a KamAZ truck with 95 mining equipment that was stealing electricity from a village in Buryatia.
• Seasonal ban on mining: in some regions of Russia, cryptocurrency mining is temporarily banned during peak months to save electricity.
• Cyber Threats Increase: Hacker Group 'Librarian Ghouls' Conducts Cryptojacking Operations Targeting Users in Russia

Authorities in the Republic of Buryatia have uncovered illegal cryptocurrency mining activity hidden in a KamAZ truck that was using stolen electricity intended for local residents. The discovery occurred during a routine inspection of a 10-kilovolt power line in the Pribaikalsky District, state news agency TASS reports.

Employees of Buryatenergo, a division of Rosseti Siberia, found 95 mining equipment and a mobile transformer station in the truck. The equipment consumed enough energy to power an entire small village, demonstrating the scale of the theft. Two people believed to be involved in the activity fled in an SUV shortly before police arrived.

The incident marks the sixth instance of cryptocurrency mining-related electricity theft in Buryatia since the start of the year. Authorities warn that such illegal connections pose a serious threat to the local power grid, causing voltage fluctuations, overloads and increasing the risk of power outages for residents.

Regional and National Measures Against Cryptocurrency Mining

Buryatia, located in eastern Siberia, is one of several regions in Russia where cryptocurrency mining activities are restricted due to power shortages. From November 15 to March 15, all mining activities are banned in most areas of Buryatia to save electricity during the harsh winter months. Outside of this time, cryptocurrency mining is only allowed for registered individuals in certain areas, such as Severobaykalsky and Muysky.

The measures taken in Buryatia are in line with a broader federal policy aimed at curbing energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining in regions with power shortages. In December 2024, Russian authorities announced new bans on cryptocurrency mining during peak months in regions including Dagestan, Chechnya, and parts of Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine. A full ban was imposed in the southern Irkutsk region from April 2025.

Despite the restrictions, the Irkutsk region continues to be a hub for industrial cryptocurrency mining thanks to its low cost hydroelectric power. BitRiver, a major Russian mining company, operates its largest data center in Bratsk, Irkutsk, launched in 2019.

Cybersecurity Threats Complicate Cryptocurrency Landscape

In another study, Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab identified a hacker group known as “Librarian Ghouls” or “Rare Werewolf” as being responsible for a cryptojacking campaign that has affected hundreds of Russian computers. The attackers use phishing emails disguised as legitimate documents to install malware that mines cryptocurrency without the users’ knowledge.

The malware disables Windows Defender and is programmed to perform mining operations between 1am and 5am to avoid detection. During this time, hackers also gain remote access, steal login credentials, and analyze the system's capabilities to optimize mining performance.

With cases of illegal cryptocurrency mining on the rise in both physical and cyberspace, Russian authorities are tightening enforcement measures.

Source: cryptonews.net