OREANDA-NEWS  In 2023, the illegal online liquor market in Russia jumped by 60 percent, reaching 80 billion rubles. Artyom Sokolov, President of the Association of Online Trading Companies (AKIT), gave such data in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Sokolov noted that the sale of alcohol on the Internet actually exists, while in quite large volumes, but the transactions are carried out "rough." According to the expert, services for such trade continue to develop — back in 2022, the market for illegal online sales of alcohol amounted to 50 billion rubles.

According to the estimates of the NIFI of the Ministry of Finance, due to the illegal trade in alcohol, the Russian budget will receive 253 billion rubles of lost revenue from 2023 to 2027, Sokolov added.

In October 2023, the Russian Ministry of Finance supported the official sale of alcohol online. According to the head of the department Anton Siluanov, the legalization of such a measure has more advantages than disadvantages. He clarified that state control over such trade would make it possible to combat sites that sell "burnt" alcohol.