Archive · 24 Sep 2026
Bear Attacks Kill 14 Across Siberia as Abaza Faces Siege
Bears have attacked people in several parts of Siberia this year.
At least 14 people have died.
Six of those deaths were reported in the Krasnoyarsk region.
Some victims were gathering berries or living in remote villages.
In Abaza, officials said bears surrounded the town during an alarming night.
Authorities chased the bears away, and three bears died.
Prosecutors say local officials did not do enough to control the bear population.
The reports say Siberia normally sees about 20 to 30 bear attack victims each year.
At least 14 people have died in bear attacks across Siberia in 2026, according to reported data.
At least six deaths occurred in the Krasnoyarsk region, including three attacks on September 16.
A 66-year-old woman was killed in a remote village, while two people died while picking berries near Taiga in Irkutsk region.
Officials said bears surrounded Abaza in Khakassia on September 23, prompting efforts to drive them away; three bears were killed.
Russian prosecutors accused officials in Krasnoyarsk and Khakassia of failing to regulate bear numbers and prevent animals from entering populated areas.
- Who
- Residents of Siberia were attacked by bears; local officials, prosecutors, and wildlife authorities are involved.
- What
- At least 14 people have died in bear attacks, while bears reportedly surrounded the town of Abaza.
- When
- The deaths occurred during 2026, including reported attacks on September 16; the Abaza incident was reported on September 23.
- Where
- The incidents occurred in Siberia, including the Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk regions and Khakassia's town of Abaza.
- Why
- Prosecutors said officials failed to regulate the bear population or prevent bears from entering populated areas.
Prosecutors' assessment
Reported official response
Responsibility for the attacks
Prosecutors' assessment
The Investigative Committee of Russia said local officials failed to regulate the predator population or prevent bears from entering inhabited areas.
Reported official response
Officials responded to the immediate threat in Abaza by chasing the bears away, and three bears were killed.
- Reported deaths in 2026
- At least 14 people across Siberia
- Typical annual victims
- The Russian Ministry of Natural Resources says 20 to 30 people fall victim to bears in Siberia each year
- Krasnoyarsk deaths
- At least six people
- September 16 attacks
- At least three attacks were reported
- Abaza incident
- Bears reportedly surrounded the town on September 23
- Bears killed near Abaza
- Three, including one described as extremely large
- Official criticism
- Prosecutors accused officials in Krasnoyarsk and Khakassia of negligence