Authorities in Russia’s Leningrad region confirmed that at least 25 people have died after consuming cheap vodka tainted with methanol, according to reports from late September 2025.
The fatalities occurred throughout the month in Slantsy and nearby villages close to the Estonian border. Initial reports from the Volosovsky district on September 10 indicated the first deaths. Tests conducted by Russia’s Investigative Committee detected high or lethal methanol levels in the victims’ bodies.
The series of poisonings started on September 24 when a 54-year-old man from the village of Gostitsy died shortly after being hospitalized. Another resident, aged 69, died the same evening. In the following days, additional bodies were discovered, including a 42-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman in a house in Gostitsy. On September 25, a couple, both aged 46, were found deceased in the same village.
Identified victims include Nadezhda B., 63, Yuri F., 39, Yuri K., 65, Alla L., 53, and Zemfira F., 55. According to Telegram channel Topor, victim Yuri Spiridonov, 54, reportedly crawled to “his wife on his knees,” stating he was dying, and passed away hours later.
Authorities have apprehended 60-year-old nursery teacher Olga Stepanova and 78-year-old Nikolai Boytsov in relation to the deaths. Stepanova is accused of unlawfully purchasing alcohol, which she then transported and sold to Boytsov, contributing to the fatalities. Boytsov allegedly poisoned his own wife, who is among the deceased. A search of his apartment revealed empty bottles and containers up to 2.6 gallons smelling of alcohol.
Local residents stated that many people regularly purchased alcohol from Boytsov. While large-scale poisonings were unprecedented, yearly deaths from moonshine occurred in Slantsy. In one instance, a woman became paralyzed after consumption. Boytsov reportedly sold alcohol on credit or at reduced prices during villagers’ desperate times.
Eight more suspects have been arrested for producing and distributing the hazardous alcohol. One suspect received a 30-day jail sentence from the Slantsevsky City Court of the Leningrad Region. In total, 14 individuals have been detained across three separate criminal cases. Authorities seized over 264 gallons of the tainted vodka during the probe, with concerns that more bottles may still be circulating.
Interior Ministry spokeswoman Major General Irina Volk confirmed that investigators linked the counterfeit vodka to a commercial firm in Trubnikov Bor, Tosnensky district. Experts attribute the deaths to the “deadly content of methanol alcohol” in the blood, Volk stated.
The victims, mostly pensioners, purchased the inexpensive, unlabeled spirits for approximately 90 pence, or about $1 per bottle. The deaths were concentrated in economically struggling towns near the Estonian border with prevalent moonshine consumption. The homemade vodka contained about 90 proof alcohol.
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, is found in products like windshield wiper fluid and antifreeze. It is colorless and odorless, making it a cheap substitute for bootleggers in homemade alcohol. According to Mount Sinai Hospital, 2 tablespoons can be lethal for a child, while 2 to 8 ounces can be deadly for an adult.
Consumption of methanol may lead to visual problems, with 4 milliliters causing permanent blindness. Initial effects resemble mild alcohol intoxication, including drowsiness and confusion. Six to 30 hours after ingestion, symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, and diarrhea may occur.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the incident as an “extraordinary accident, a tragedy” with numerous fatalities. He stated that law enforcement agencies are investigating the case.
The prosecutor’s office advised residents to avoid purchasing alcohol of unknown origin and confirmed ongoing inspections of local shops and warehouses. Health officials urged those suspecting methanol consumption to seek immediate medical attention. The Leningrad region administration reported 19 alcohol-related deaths in Slantsy District in September, with eight cases confirmed as methanol poisoning, and one individual remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Mass deaths from consuming cheap homemade alcohol substitutes are not uncommon in Russia. Earlier in the week, prosecutors sentenced two individuals to nearly a decade in prison for making and selling counterfeit cider that killed 50 people in 2023. In August 2025, at least 10 tourists died in Sochi after consuming counterfeit chacha and wine purchased at a market.
In 2016, over 60 people died in Irkutsk, Siberia, after drinking contraband bath oil containing methanol. Russia “toughened legislation after that incident,” yet cheap spirits using alcohol substitutes remain accessible, particularly in rural areas with low living standards where vodka prices are prohibitive. Russia has faced recurring waves of deadly surrogate alcohol poisonings, often involving methanol-laced or industrial-grade spirits. These incidents are typically caused by “poverty, limited access to legal alcohol,” and underground suppliers who continue operating in rural areas.
Update: As of October 3, the number of dead had increased to 41.
