Support The Moscow Times!

Mass Fish Deaths Hit Central Russia

Vasilii Shitov / TASS

A massive die-off of marine life has hit the republic of Bashkortostan, nestled between the Volga River and the Ural Mountains, in what residents suspect to be a mass poisoning.

Videos posted on social media showed dead fish, floating belly up, lining the banks of a local river.

The regional environmental protection service took samples from the local river for analysis, with possible contamination coming from a river in the neighboring Perm region, Interfax reported Friday.

The results of the tests are expected on Monday, the Bashkortostan environmental protection department’s spokeswoman Liliya Nuretdinova told the Proufu.ru news website.

“We’re now informing the public. We’ve posted an announcement asking [people] to refrain from swimming in the river and fishing until all circumstances are fully clarified,” the head of the village council Razif Makhatov told the Ufa branch of RBC business portal.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more