Kathrine Frich
Shortages, poverty and a thriving black market are reshaping daily life across Russia, where a growing public-health crisis is unfolding out of sight.
New reporting from Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service warns of a nationwide threat that is taking lives far from the front lines.
As authorities grapple with rising deaths, illegal brews and toxic substitutes continue to circulate widely, drawing in consumers who can no longer afford safer options.
Rising death toll
According to Dialog.ua, more than 10,000 Russians die each year from alcohol poisoning.
This is a figure analysts say is climbing alongside the rapid expansion of the country’s cheap and largely unregulated liquor market.
Ukrainian intelligence reports that several fatal mass poisonings were documented in 2025, underscoring how deeply entrenched the issue has become.
Data cited in those reports highlight two major incidents: 126 deaths in the Saratov region and 49 fatalities in the Leningrad region.
More than ten individuals have been detained on suspicion of producing or distributing the toxic alcohol involved.
Expanding illicit trade
Investigators say low household incomes are pushing many Russians toward imitation spirits and homemade alternatives.
Ukraine’s intelligence service notes that demand for equipment used in home distilling is soaring, reflecting a sharp rise in unregulated production.
Sales of alcohol-making devices in Russia jumped by 37% in 2025, the reporting shows.
Officials estimate that around 2.5 million such machines are now in circulation, with homemade liquor accounting for roughly a fifth of the country’s strong-alcohol market.
Legal moves, deeper problems
Moscow recently adopted tighter rules on methanol, requiring authorities to destroy seized supplies within a month to prevent them from re-entering circulation through corrupt channels.
While the measure is framed as a crackdown on dangerous substances, Ukrainian intelligence argues it addresses only the symptoms.
Analysts quoted in the same reporting point to systemic corruption and widespread poverty as the real forces driving the spread of unsafe alcohol.
They also note that the government’s continued increase in alcohol prices is officially justified as a health measure, though the intelligence service claims the underlying motive is boosting state revenue.
Sources: LA.lv, Dialog.ua, press service of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.
