Dozens Dead After Drinking Vodka Laced with Methanol

In late September 2025, a mass poisoning rocked Slantsy, a town in Russia’s Leningrad region. Residents consumed homemade vodka, sold for about $1 per 0.5-litre bottle (about 90 proof / ~45% ABV), that turned out to be contaminated with methanol, a dangerously toxic alcohol.

Authorities report that at least 25 people died, and several more were hospitalized.

Key Figures & Arrests

• Nikolai Boytsov (78) and Olga Stepanova (60) are among those arrested in connection with the incident; Boytsov is alleged to have sold the counterfeit vodka.
• Stepanova is accused of supplying Boytsov with the dangerous alcohol. Boytsov’s wife is reportedly among the deceased.
• In addition to these two, about eight more suspects have been detained for their roles in production or distribution.

What Is Methanol & Why Is It Dangerous

Methanol (wood alcohol) is extremely toxic. It’s sometimes used (illegally) in counterfeit or homemade alcoholic drinks as a cheaper substitute because it has similar properties to ethanol (the “drinkable” alcohol). But methanol is poisonous: even small amounts can cause blindness, organ failure, metabolic acidosis, and death.

In this case, forensic medical examinations showed elevated methanol levels in deceased victims.

Context & Underlying Issues

• The incident comes amid a broader pattern in Russia of bootleg alcohol poisoning, often involving homemade or illicitly produced beverages that bypass regulatory oversight.
• Economic pressure, regulatory gaps, and the high cost or limited availability of legally produced alcohol are often cited as driving factors behind the consumption of counterfeit or homemade spirits. Some reports note that vendors can sell cheap vodka very extensively, incentivizing underground production.

What’s Being Done

Authorities have seized materials associated with the illicit alcohol and initiated criminal investigations. The people detained are being investigated for distributing, producing, or selling the toxic product.

Local health services are also treating the afflicted, though in many such cases, treatments are reactive rather than preventive because methanol toxicity acts quickly and causes irreversible damage in many instances.

What Remains Unclear

• Some sources report 33 dead, while others say 25 — this likely reflects the evolving nature of the investigation and differing confirmations.
• The exact quantity of methanol, production method, and supply chain (who supplied whom) remains under investigation.
• There’s also incomplete information about how many are still hospitalized or the severity of injuries among survivors.

Conclusion

The Slantsy methanol vodka tragedy is a stark example of the lethal risks posed by counterfeit alcohol. What began as a cheap alternative has turned deadly. With dozens confirmed dead and more suffering, the crisis spotlights the urgent need for regulatory oversight, public education about the dangers of illicit alcohol, and improved access to safe, legal spirits.

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