Russia has banned cryptocurrency mining in several Siberian regions to prevent power shortages during the winter and has restricted it in areas of Ukraine that it has declared annexed, a government commission announced on Tuesday. The ban will be enforced during the winter months in three regions near Lake Baikal, where cryptocurrency mining has flourished in recent years due to the low cost of electricity, primarily generated by large hydropower plants. In the annexed areas of Ukraine, much of the energy infrastructure has been destroyed since Russia sent in its forces in 2022, leading to power shortages.