Overview

• Regional officials say 19 deaths were recorded this month in the Slantsy district, with eight cases laboratory-confirmed as methanol poisoning.
• National police spokeswoman Irina Volk said two local residents were detained on suspicion of supplying raw alcohol and producing homemade spirits, including a resident of the village of Gostitsy.
• The regional prosecutor’s office announced a criminal case for death by negligence and said a court will decide on pre-trial detention for the detainees.
• Media reports say investigators are examining whether industrial alcohol was involved, and some reported identities of alleged suppliers and producers remain unconfirmed.
• The outbreak fits a recurring pattern of lethal surrogate-alcohol incidents in Russia’s rural areas, where poverty and underground distribution drive demand for illicit spirits.