A silent tragedy has struck the region of St. Petersburg, where at least 25 people have lost their lives in recent weeks after consuming adulterated alcohol. The phenomenon, which has triggered deep concern in Russian society, may be even more serious than official figures suggest, as authorities do not rule out a higher number of unreported cases. After several days of investigation, local police announced that they had identified the company suspected of distributing the toxic alcohol.
According to police spokeswoman Irina Wolk, the company’s facilities, located in the Tosno district southeast of St. Petersburg, were raided and searched in an effort to collect evidence of its responsibility. Initial findings point to the presence of methanol, a chemical variant of alcohol commonly used as a solvent or fuel but highly toxic for human consumption. Its ingestion causes severe poisoning that can lead to blindness, irreversible damage to vital organs, and, in the most severe cases, death.
Throughout September, health authorities in the region had already recorded multiple deaths linked to the consumption of these adulterated drinks. The Telegram channel Baza even reported a higher figure of 33 fatalities, although this has not been officially confirmed. At the same time, security forces intensified their investigations, and so far eleven arrests have been made in connection with the production and distribution of the contaminated alcohol.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the tragedy as a “completely unusual incident,” although he acknowledged that such cases occur repeatedly in Russia, especially during times of economic crisis when officially produced alcohol becomes unaffordable for much of the population, and sales of illegal products in black markets increase.
The historical precedents are painful and revealing. In 2016, the Siberian region witnessed a similar catastrophe that claimed 75 lives after vodka mixed with a bath additive containing methanol was distributed. Despite existing bans, in many Russian villages the practice of “black burning,” a clandestine tradition of home distillation, persists. Without proper controls or regulations, this practice increases the risk of mass poisonings.
This new wave of deaths in St. Petersburg reopens the urgent debate on alcohol regulation in Russia and access to safe products, reminding society that behind every number there are devastated families facing a tragedy that could have been prevented.
