Russian banks stepped up anti-drops controls in 2025 as reported cases and messages surged

Russia’s financial monitoring agency says banks became much more coordinated in flagging “drops” in 2025, with both reporting volumes and enforcement activity rising sharply. For PSPs and merchants in high-risk verticals, the practical takeaway is simple: bank-side transaction screening in Russia is getting harder to treat as a background risk.

1. According to Rosfinmonitoring’s annual report for 2025, the number of banks informing authorities about drop-related transactions increased 1.2 times, while the number reporting crypto-related transactions rose 1.5 times. The number of messages sent by banks about drops increased 2.8 times.
2. By the end of last year, the number of drops in Russia was estimated at 1.2–2 million people. The total volume of financial transactions by individuals with signs of dropper activity exceeded ₽90 billion in 2025.
3. Rosfinmonitoring said that more than 4,300 financial investigations were carried out in the credit and financial sector in 2025, involving more than 100,000 legal entities and individuals.
4. Over the same period, around 1,400 criminal cases were opened and 139 conviction judgments were issued. About ₽242 billion in fines and damages was ordered for recovery.
5. Authorities also seized property and assets worth ₽220 billion, with total securing measures exceeding ₽236 billion. More than ₽17.5 billion was actually recovered, and Rosfinmonitoring said compliance restrictions kept more than ₽400 billion out of the shadow economy during the year.