At least 25 individuals have tragically died in Russia`s Leningrad Region due to consuming counterfeit alcohol. This devastating toll includes 19 residents from the Slanetsky District and six from the Volosovsky District. Local authorities have issued a stark warning, indicating that the number of victims could unfortunately rise as investigations continue.
Forensic examinations have definitively confirmed that six of these deaths in the Volosovsky District of the Leningrad Region were directly caused by methanol poisoning. This discovery follows earlier reports of 19 fatalities in the neighboring Slanetsky District attributed to the same cause. Consequently, the Investigative Committee has officially confirmed the total number of poisoning victims, which currently stands at 25 individuals.
Irina Volk, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, further reported via her Telegram channel that additional deaths linked to methanol poisoning have occurred in the Kingiseppsky District, which borders the Slanetsky area, indicating a broader distribution of the deadly substance.
Investigation Details and Expert Comments
Andrey Karlov, a correspondent for the online publication 47news.ru, provided deeper insights into the unfolding crisis during an interview with Business FM:
“By the morning of September 27, cases of methanol poisoning were confirmed in the Volosovsky District, resulting in six deaths. These victims were of various ages and social statuses, primarily from the district center of Volosovo. Currently, a large-scale investigation is underway in the Leningrad Region: potential sales points are being inspected, approximately a thousand liters of allegedly counterfeit alcohol have been seized, and eight individuals connected to the incidents in both Slanetsky and Volosovsky Districts have been detained. The investigation is exploring the possibility that the methanol was acquired from a single central location, from which it was then distributed across both districts. It is known that in the Slanetsky District, the adulterated alcohol was sold for 150 rubles per bottle, whereas the minimum legal price for 0.5 liters of vodka is 349 rubles, more than double the cost.”
The Prosecutor`s Office has since reported the detention of five alleged wholesale distributors of illicit alcohol. During their operations, law enforcement confiscated over 1,000 liters of the dangerous counterfeit products, and the origin of their entry into the region is being actively traced.
Earlier, three more suspects were apprehended in connection with the case: a 61-year-old woman and two men aged 79 and 54. In one of the men`s garages, authorities discovered and seized containers filled with alcohol-containing products for expert analysis. The court has since ordered two of these individuals to be held in custody.
A particularly grim detail emerged, reporting that one of the sellers of the illicit alcohol tragically poisoned his own wife, who consumed the toxic substance intended for resale, highlighting the extreme danger of the distributed product.
Update: Source Identification and Further Arrests
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has identified a commercial organization located in the village of Trubnikov Bor within the Tosnensky District as the presumed source of the deadly counterfeit alcohol circulating in the Leningrad Region.
Investigative and operational measures are currently being conducted at the specified location. These efforts aim to precisely establish the supply channels for the substandard alcohol and to identify all individuals involved in this grave crime.
As part of the ongoing investigation into the counterfeit alcohol poisoning in the Leningrad Region, a total of 14 people have now been detained, with six of them formally arrested. They face charges related to the procurement and distribution of illegal alcohol across the region.
The Investigative Committee reiterated its confirmation that all 25 deceased individuals—six in Volosovsky District and 19 in Slanetsky District—succumbed to methanol poisoning, a fact corroborated by forensic examinations. A criminal case has been initiated under the article “causing death by negligence to two or more persons.”
Andrey Karlov`s Comment on New Details
Andrey Karlov, the correspondent for 47news.ru, provided additional information on the recent developments:
“As far as we know, law enforcement learned last night about a temporary storage warehouse. Material evidence, including various containers, euroboxes, canisters, and glass bottles, related to previously initiated criminal cases, has been seized. It is now known that this warehouse is located in the village of Trubnikov Bor, the administrative center of the eponymous rural settlement. We understand that approximately a month ago, 2,500 liters of alcohol went missing. The main part of this alcohol was ethanol, used for vodka production, among other things. It is used officially but also circulates on the black market. A small portion—about 250-300 liters—was methanol, which causes severe poisoning in the body. According to all indications…”
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Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth