[DigitalToday reporter Chi-gyu Hwang (황치규)] Russia has added Moscow, the Moscow region and parts of the Kursk region to areas where cryptocurrency mining is banned. Cointelegraph reported on Friday local time that the ban will take effect on Aug. 15 and remain in place until Dec. 31, 2032.

The move follows Resolution No. 936 signed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin (미하일 미슈스틴) on July 25, 2026. The resolution amends an existing mining restriction order issued in December 2024 to expand the areas covered.

The new rules add Moscow, the Moscow region and several areas in the Kursk region. In the Kursk region, 8 local municipalities and Lgov were included in the ban. Russia has restricted mining mainly in areas where there are concerns about power supply, and the latest move expands the restrictions to the capital region.

The energy ministry of the Moscow region previously cited rising power demand as the reason a mining ban was needed. There are 65 data centres connected to the power grid in Moscow and the Moscow region, with total installed capacity estimated at 734 megawatts. Of these, 19 data centres are in the Moscow region, with installed capacity of 233 megawatts.

Russia has already introduced mining restrictions in other areas. In parts of Buryatia and parts of Zabaykalsky Krai, a mining ban will apply from April 1, 2026 to March 15, 2031.