The authorities of the Republic of Buriatia, Russia, dismantled an illegal cryptocurrency mining operation that worked inside a truck, which diverted electricity for Pribaikalsky, a town close to the area.
The inspectors who participated in the operation detailed that it was a truck manufactured by Kamaz (Kama Automobile Plant), a vehicle used for heavy load. Inside, they found 95 cryptocurrency mining equipment and a mobile transformer station. There were no details about the models of these teams.
According to reported The Russian state agency Tass, the illegal installation was stealing electricity from a 10 kilowol line, enough to supply a small town. Likewise, according to the official reports, two subjects who would be the drivers of the truck fled the place before the police launched the operation.
So far from 2025, the authorities detected six cases of electricity theft linked to cryptocurrency mining in Buriatia, according to the Buryatenergo unit of Rossetti Siberia.
As a consequence of these facts, Local electrical networks face voltage drops, overloads and blackout risk.
As Cryptonoticia reported, the Russian government prohibited Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining in eight cities in Irkutsk, a measure that seeks to relieve pressure on the region’s electricity grid.
Among the impacted cities are Irkutsk, Zima, Sayansk, Svirsk, Tulun, Usolye-Sibirskoye and Cheremkhovo.
Mining is also prohibited in some areas of Buriatia and the Krai of Zabaikalsky during energy consumption peaks. For this reason, the Government established that these periods will run from January 1 to March 15, 2025, and in the following years, from November 15 to March 15.
