Russia and Ukraine are closing some crypto mining farms

Authorities in Russia and Ukraine recently shut down a number of illegal cryptocurrency mining facilities allegedly powered by stolen electricity. Underground farms have been discovered around the capitals of Kiev and Moscow, as well as in the Russian Republic of Dagestan.

Russia raids illegal mining farms in the Moscow and Dagestan regions

Russian customs and law enforcement agencies recently discovered that large amounts of electricity were stolen from a grid operated by Rosseti in Moscow Oblast, an area next to the Russian capital. Tass reported on the operation this week, quoting Ekaterina Korotkova from the Moscow Interregional Transport Prosecutor’s Office. The officer stated:

“The audit found that unauthorized connection to the power grid, electricity theft and illegal land grabbing to operate devices for performing cryptographic calculations in connection with cryptocurrency mining were uncovered.”

The cost of illegally consumed electricity used to power mining hardware is more than 500,000 rubles per day (almost $ 7,000). The authorities have already accepted the criminal case and intend to prosecute the owner of the mining facility.

Two other crypto mining farms were also inspected in Dagestan, a Russian republic in the North Caucasus. At the end of November, the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper reported that a large mining operation had been discovered in a mountain area. Preliminary data from the investigation showed that unknown operators caused damage valued at 1 million rubles (over $ 13,000).

Local police also discovered a mining company in Botlikh district that had illegally connected miners to the power grid. According to a report by Forklog, citing the Dagestan Interior Ministry, the cryptocurrency mining farm was established in November, run by a 35-year-old resident of the Dakhadayevsky district, and stole 257,000 rubles (about 257,000 rubles) of electricity . ).

The Digital Financial Assets Act, which came into force in January, regulates a number of crypto-related activities in the Russian Federation, but mining of cryptocurrencies does not fall within this scope. This year Moscow officials have called for mining to be recognized as a trade and taxation.

Underground cryptocurrency mining farm found in Kiev region, Ukraine

Meanwhile, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) notification on Friday that they discovered an illegal mining facility in Kiev Oblast. According to the main Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, three locals installed several ASICs in the hangar they rented in the Buchansky district in the border region with the capital. They reportedly consumed 3.5 million hryvnia (over $ 128,000) in electrical energy.

The growing popularity of cryptocurrencies has made Ukraine one of the leading providers in recent years. At the same time, the government has taken steps to legalize “virtual assets”. Bitcoin mining is not prohibited, but not yet regulated. This year, the SBU increased its vigilance as miners took advantage of the country’s power grid and closed several crypto farms in various regions, including a large data center in central Ukraine, last month.

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Minh Anh

According to Newsbitcoin

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