A mobile cryptocurrency mining farm that burned millions of rubles worth of stolen electricity to mint digital currency has been destroyed in Russia's Far East.
This improvised installation on the back of a truck is not an isolated example of ingenuity on the part of unscrupulous Russian miners trying to make money without paying their bills.
Mobile cryptocurrency farm dismantled in Buryatia
A wheeled mine discovered in the Republic of Buryatia caused economic damage of 3 million rubles (more than $38,000) in just a few days, according to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD).
Company spokeswoman Irina Volk detailed what happened to Telegram. Three residents of the Siberian region modified a truck and installed about 100 mining rigs in its cargo hold.
The miners then drove their vehicles along power lines and illegally connected their equipment to the grid. They also recruited two other men to help with the surgery.
Volk added that all five participants were in custody by local police and the National Guard, and criminal charges had already been filed against them.
Business news portal RBC's cryptocurrency page cited her post on Monday and reported that a search had been conducted at the arrestee's home.
Law enforcement officers seized mining hardware, records and other evidence worth an estimated 6.5 million rubles from the residence.
Russia's illegal cryptocurrency miners are becoming increasingly mobile
The seizure of mining trucks in Buryatia is not unique to Russia, where those involved in the industry illegally are becoming increasingly inventive.
In November, authorities in Dagestan announced that they had discovered a cryptocurrency farm set up in a Gazelle van. An employee of a local power company flew a drone equipped with a thermal camera to determine the location.
Both republics are among more than a dozen regions in Russia where mining is partially or completely banned, mainly due to energy shortages caused by cryptocurrency activity.
Russia legalized mining in late 2024, but some regions with low electricity prices were unprepared for a surge in coin minting operations, both legal and illegal.
Mining is strictly prohibited in Dagestan, where authorities shut down more than 100 underground crypto farms last year, and in most other Russian republics in the North Caucasus.
The Republic of Buryatia initially imposed seasonal restrictions during the cold winter months, but this year, along with neighboring Zabaikalsky Krai, the federal government plans to impose a year-round ban.
Neighboring Irkutsk Oblast is often called the mining capital of Russia due to its concentration of coin minting companies, but mining is already prohibited in the south.
However, recent reports in Russian official media citing experts in the field say that Moscow's executive powers are unlikely to further expand the area covered by restrictive measures in 2026.
Companies and sole traders are free to mine in Russia as long as they are registered with the tax authorities. Given the low number of registrations so far, authorities are considering ways to keep the sector in the shadows, such as issuing amnesties.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities are stepping up crackdowns on those who mint stolen electricity and their farms. An amendment bill to criminalize such activities was recently introduced by the Ministry of Justice.
Authorities are also employing increasingly sophisticated methods to identify illegal cryptocurrency mining facilities, such as tracking electricity consumption and internet traffic.
