At least 25 people have died from suspected methanol poisoning after drinking 90p bottles of bootleg vodka.
Elevated levels of methanol were found in the bodies of the deceased in Russia’s Leningrad region.
A nursery school teacher has been arrested on suspicion of supplying poisoned moonshine.
Authorities fear people could die from the bootleg alcohol after more than 1,000 litres of it were seized, according to Russian news reports.
The country’s main investigative body said: ‘Forensic medical examination of the bodies of six deceased persons … had revealed high or lethal levels of methanol.’
Olga Stepanova, 60, is accused of supplying the alcohol to Nikolai Boytsov, 78, who then sold the moonshine for 90p a bottle.
Olga’s husband is currently serving in Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Boytsov is accused of ‘poisoning’ his 75-year-old wife, who is one of those dead, with the alcohol.
Eight more suspects have also been arrested by the police for home production and distribution of the deadly bootleg vodka, it is understood.
Interior Ministry spokeswoman Maj-Gen Irina Volk confirmed a major operation to find the perpetrators.
She added: ‘According to experts’ conclusions, the cause of death of the local residents was the deadly content of methanol alcohol in the blood.
Eight of the deaths have been confirmed as methanol poisoning, Leningrad region’s administration said.
Bootleg spirits has become increasingly popular in Russia as alcohol prices skyrocket due to the war.
Consumption of the illegal alcohol is said to be particularly high among pensioners.
Attention to the danger of alcoholic drinks grew after six tourists died in Laos in November 2024.
British lawyer Simone White, Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones from Australia, and an unnamed US man and two Danish women died in a mass poisoning at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng.
British backpacker Calum Macdonald, 23, went blind after drinking the alcohol at the hotel.
Methanol is mostly used to make solvents, pesticides, paint thinners, and alternative fuels.
It is very similar to ethanol – the pure form of alcohol in alcoholic drinks.
But unlike ethanol it has a different chemical structure that makes it toxic for humans if they consume it.
Once swallowed, our enzymes metabolise methanol into formaldehyde, the substance used to make industrial glue and embalming substances, before breaking it down into formic acid.
This is what makes the substance so deadly to humans.
The difference between methanol and ethanol cannot be detected unless specialist equipment is used.
Methanol is sometimes added to alcohol instead of ethanol because it is a cheaper substance.
The counterfeit alcohol is then sold on to shops, bars and clubs for a cheaper price.
When alcohol is homemade though methanol can sometimes be added by accident.
It can be produced in toxic quantities when alcohol is distilled and fermented without the appropriate monitoring.
Methanol is extremely toxic to humans and can be deadly.
Methanol can be toxic following ingestion, inhalation, or dermal exposure and typically there is a latent period of 12 to 24 hours after ingestion before symptoms appear.
The substance can affect multiple organs, and organ damage may be permanent.
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