At least 25 people have died in Russia’s Leningrad region after drinking cheap bootleg vodka laced with methanol, sparking fears of further casualties and a widening public health crisis.
Authorities said the victims had purchased bottles of counterfeit vodka sold for as little as 90p each. Forensic medical examinations confirmed that six of the deceased had lethal or near-lethal levels of methanol in their bodies. Officials believe dozens more may have consumed the toxic alcohol, raising concerns the death toll could climb.
Olga Stepanova, a 60-year-old nursery school teacher, has been arrested on suspicion of supplying the moonshine. Investigators allege she distributed the poisoned alcohol to a local man who in turn sold the fake vodka. His wife is reported to be among the victims. Police also detained eight additional suspects believed to be involved in home production and distribution of the lethal drink. More than 1,000 litres of contaminated alcohol have been seized.
Methanol, a chemical commonly found in cleaning fluids, fuel, and antifreeze, is often used in counterfeit alcohol as a cheap substitute for ethanol, the type of alcohol found in beverages. While it is similar in taste and smell, methanol is highly toxic when metabolised by the body, producing formic acid that can cause organ failure, blindness, and death. Experts warn that as little as 30 millilitres can be fatal.
“Methanol poisoning is extremely serious,” said Professor Oliver Jones of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. “It blocks the body’s ability to use oxygen to generate energy. Cells start to die, and the optic nerve is particularly vulnerable, leading to the risk of blindness or even death.” Symptoms include vomiting, seizures, dizziness, and sudden vision loss.
Cheap, homemade spirits remain widely available in poorer areas of Russia where the price of legally manufactured vodka is prohibitively high. The tragedy has drawn comparisons with earlier mass poisonings. In 2016, more than 60 people in Irkutsk died after consuming contraband bath oil containing methanol, while in 2023 prosecutors sentenced two people to nearly a decade in prison for producing counterfeit cider that killed 50 people.
Methanol poisoning is also a well-documented problem in parts of Southeast Asia, where hundreds are poisoned each year by low-cost, poorly manufactured spirits, according to Médecins Sans Frontières. Experts say the combination of economic hardship, poor regulation, and the appeal of cheap alcohol continues to put vulnerable populations at risk.
Authorities in Leningrad have pledged a full investigation, but for now, communities are grappling with the devastating human toll of a tragedy that once again highlights the dangers of Russia’s shadow alcohol market.
