250 Bitcoin Miners Shut Down in Irkutsk Region

An illegal mining farm with 250 devices was discovered in Shelekhov, Irkutsk region, according to a report by the city prosecutor’s office.

The equipment was located in a non-residential building and belonged to an individual not listed in the registry of citizens engaged in cryptocurrency mining.

Moreover, Shelekhov district is among the areas where digital currency mining is prohibited during the winter period from January 1, 2025, to March 15, 2031.

The total unaccounted energy consumption amounted to about 1 MW. Law enforcement suspended the mining activities and seized the equipment.

An investigation has been launched into the alleged property damage through deception or abuse of trust.

Previously, experts estimated the annual damage to Russia from “grey” miners at 10 billion rubles. In 2024, this figure exceeded 1.3 billion rubles.

As of September 1, a law regulating cryptocurrency mining came into effect in Russia. The country also established an energy consumption limit for individual miners.