On February 18, according to the Itar-Tass news agency, in 2024, the Russian power company "Rosseti" will lose more than 1.30 billion rubles due to "black miners" illegally connecting to the grid and not metering electricity. Among them, "Rosseti North Caucasus" company lost the most, more than 600 million rubles; "Rosseti Novosibirsk" company lost 400 million rubles; "Rosseti Central and Volga" company lost 120 million rubles. The company reported that 130 cases of illegal access have been investigated and referred to law enforcement agencies, and more than 40 criminal cases have been initiated, involving charges of actual sentencing. Illegal mining has also caused overloading of the power grid, resulting in low voltages that can damage equipment and appliances. For example, in the village of Chapayevsko in the North Caucasus, power companies and law enforcement discovered nearly 200 mining machines, consuming more than 12,000 kWh of electricity. In addition, illegal mining sites are not only found in industrial areas, but also involve a variety of places, from containers on rented land to underground parking lots in residential complexes. The largest case occurred in Novosibirsk, where more than 3,200 mining machines were seized, electricity theft losses amounted to 197 million rubles, and suspects have been detained.