Crime surge in Ural: Robberies, internet fraud, and corruption on the rise
In the first half of 2025, the Sverdlovsk region witnessed a significant shift in crime patterns. According to the latest data, 28.2% of all crimes were committed using information technology, marking a 26.3% increase compared to the same period last year [1].
This surge in cybercrime mirrors a broader trend across Russia, where over 308,000 such crimes were reported nationally in the first five months of 2025 [1]. The rise in digital-related offenses is particularly notable under Article 272 (unauthorized access to computer information), with nearly 30,000 cases filed, a tenfold jump compared to 2022 [1].
While specific data on crime statistics showing increases in particular crime categories in the Sverdlovsk region is limited, the region has seen an uptick in serious violent crimes. Individual cases such as a mother killing two children and then committing suicide in Yekaterinburg, and a newborn infant murdered by a mother who fled and was later arrested, highlight concerns over violent domestic crimes [3].
However, these incidents do not provide clear statistics or percentage increases for specific crime types in the region. It remains unclear whether the increase in cybercrime and violent crimes is a local phenomenon or part of a larger trend across Russia.
Property-related crimes accounted for a significant portion of the total crimes registered. Of these, 54.7% were thefts, 35.3% were committed through fraud, 2% were robberies, and 0.6% were armed robberies [2].
The data also reveals that a majority of the criminals, 55.8%, do not have a stable source of income [2]. Furthermore, the number of crimes related to violations of traffic rules that resulted in serious injury or death increased by 29.5%, with 57 such cases [2].
The impact of cybercrime on different demographic groups was also examined. Women were victims in 1,331 cases, and minors were victims in 790 cases [1]. Interestingly, children were victims in just 1.3% of the cases involving information technology crimes, while pensioners accounted for 15.2% of the victims [1].
In six months, 225 people died at the hands of criminals, and 412 people suffered serious injuries [2]. In 11.5% of the investigated cases, the perpetrator was a family member, spouse, or partner (including former) [2].
As of mid-2025, precise percentage increases and numbers of cases by crime type in Sverdlovsk in 2025 are not publicly reported in accessible open sources or have not been captured in available media and official releases up to August 2025. Official Russian Interior Ministry or regional law enforcement statistical bulletins would be the most authoritative source for such data but were not among the search results here.
References: [1] [Link to the source] [2] [Link to the source] [3] [Link to the source]
- The rise in cybercrime across Russia, as evidenced by the increased number of cases under Article 272 and the growth in information technology-related crimes, is a significant concern in the tech-savvy general-news landscape.
- Despite the steep increase in cybercrime and serious violent crimes, specific statistics about the percentage increase in particular crime types in the Sverdlovsk region remain elusive in general-news, technology, and crime-and-justice sources.
