Russia’s Security Council reports 24% fewer fraud cases, 36% more extremism

According to the office of Russia’s Security Council, the number of crimes in the country fell by 16.3% from January through September 2026. Fraud, IT-related and drug offenses declined, while corruption-related offenses and extremism increased.

The number of crimes in Russia fell by 16.3% in the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period last year. Russia’s Security Council office reported the figures after analyzing key crime indicators for January–September. The office assessed that, despite challenges linked to the special military operation, the operational situation in the country remains generally stable.

The decline was driven primarily by a 16% reduction in property crimes. The number of thefts fell by 8.9%, while fraud cases declined by 23.8%. Crimes involving IT technologies and computer information fell by 31.5%.

Police car on a Moscow street

Fewer serious crimes recorded

The number of serious and especially serious crimes fell by 21.7%, while their share of all crimes declined from 35.5% to 33.2%. The number of registered murders fell by 11.9%, and cases of intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm decreased by 18%. Drug-related crimes declined by 40.6%, including a 20.2% drop in cases involving large quantities.

Public spaces also became safer: the number of crimes committed in public places fell by 7.3%, and those in parks, squares and plazas declined by 16.4%. Street robberies fell by 19.3%, while muggings declined by 33.3%. Crimes committed by foreign nationals decreased by 39.5%.

Where crime indicators increased

At the same time, the number of corruption-related crimes rose by 2.6%, including a 5.4% increase in bribery-related offenses. The increase was linked to a rise in identified cases of offering bribes (+15.7%) and brokering bribes (+20.9%). The number of extremist crimes increased by 36.4%, most of them, as before, being committed online.

Police service vehicles in central Moscow

The number of crimes linked to the illegal circulation of weapons fell by 7.8%, but offenses involving the use of weapons increased by 5.5%. Juvenile crime declined by 2.1%. In the first nine months, about 92,300 road accidents occurred (-3.3%); 9,100 people were killed (-8.7%) and 113,600 were injured (-4.3%).

Data source: Office of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Russia’s Security Council reports 24% fewer fraud cases, 36% more extremism