Prosecutors announced on Sept. 23 that six victims – two pensioners found near the remote village of Podtyosovo, a 40‑year‑old factory worker who entered the forest on Sept. 6, and three others killed in the weeks that followed, including a 39‑year‑old logger shot while guarding equipment – were killed by brown bears in the Siberian taiga.
The Investigative Committee of Russia’s sparsely populated Krasnoyarsk and Khakassia regions said it had opened a probe into possible criminal negligence, accusing local authorities of ignoring warnings and failing to implement measures to control the growing bear population or keep predators away from inhabited areas.
According to the natural resources ministry, Russia’s brown‑bear numbers have more than doubled since 1990, rising from roughly 130,000 to an estimated 308,000 in 2026. Despite the surge in bear numbers, the ministry reports that the total number of bear attacks nationwide has stayed steady at about 20‑30 incidents a year.
Dmitry Buchenik, deputy head of the neighbouring Khakassia region, described the situation in Abaza – a town of about 10,000 people – as an “alarming night” in which the settlement was “effectively under siege by bears.” He said several bears were chased away, but three were killed, one of them described as “huge.”
Local media have circulated unverified videos showing bears swimming across a river near the town and leaping over a road in front of cars. Russia’s emergency ministry, however, notes that bears flee in the vast majority of human encounters, underscoring the unusual nature of the recent incidents.
The investigation could lead to administrative or criminal charges against regional officials if negligence is proven. Authorities are also expected to review wildlife‑management policies, as the rapid growth of the bear population raises concerns about future human‑wildlife conflicts in remote Siberian communities.