Russian Interior Ministry Halts Publication of Criminal Mortality Data Amid Broader Statistics Withdrawal

According to the independent analytics group Yesli Byt Tochnim, Russia’s Interior Ministry has ceased the publication of statistics related to fatalities caused by criminal activities.

The group, which tracks official data, noted that the ministry’s two latest monthly reports did not include any information regarding criminal-related deaths.

The last available statistics were found in the ministry’s bulletin from April, which indicated approximately 7,100 fatalities due to criminal activities between January and April. This marks a 1.7% decrease compared to the same timeframe in the previous year.

Experts pointed out that the figures for criminal deaths encompass not only homicide victims but also individuals who died due to safety infractions.

There has been no immediate response from the Interior Ministry regarding the reasons for the exclusion of this data.

This change follows shortly after Russia’s state statistics agency, Rosstat, also halted the release of monthly birth and death figures amid increasing worries about the nation’s demographic decline and rising military casualties in Ukraine.

Yesli Byt Tochnim had previously reported that Russian law enforcement agencies have been discreetly removing other public crime statistics from their online platforms over recent years, including data related to firearms and explosives incidents.