Family Missing in Siberian Taiga After Hike
The family of Sergey and Iryna Usol'tsev, including their daughter and a corgi dog, went missing on September 28, 2025, while on a hike near Mount Buratinka in Krasnoyarsk Krai. Despite extensive searches, no traces of them were found, and experts have dismissed the theory of a wild animal attack due to the absence of evidence.
Consensus
- The Usol'tsev family went missing on September 28, 21025, during a hike near Mount Buratinka in the Krasnoyarsk Krai.
- The family included Sergey and Iryna Usol'tsev and their five-year-old daughter, along with a corgi dog.
- No physical traces of the family were found during extensive searches.
- The theory of a wild animal attack has been dismissed by expert Alexander Trepukov due to the absence of any evidence such as belongings, remains, or other signs.
- The search efforts were extensive and included multiple large-scale operations, with the last major search conducted in June 2026.
- The family's car was found at the site, containing their passports and about 300,000 rubles.
- The investigation is considering the possibility of an accident or a crime as primary hypotheses.
- A voice message allegedly from Iryna Usol'tseva was received by a family friend ten months after the disappearance, and voice analysis suggested it could be genuine.
Points of divergence
- The family's estate is valued at 700 million rubles, including bank accounts, 50% of factory shares, real estate, and a car. The eldest daughter is the main heir, and the process of declaring the family deceased may soon begin. — gazeta_spb
- Private detective Oganes Babadzhanian stated that the family's escape is possible only with sufficient funds, and speculated they might have fled to Thailand or settled in a hunting cabin. — gazeta_spb
- Sergey Usol'tsev had accumulated debts on leased equipment and reportedly took several loans shortly before disappearing. — vm
- Irina Usol'tseva's son, Danil Batalov, suggested the family might be in California, where the ex-spouse and son of the family head reside. — vm
Coverage (3 sources)
- Hiker rules out wild animal attack on Usol'tsevs - SPB Gazeta - St. Petersburg news — Gazeta.SPb
- Expert rules out version of animal attack in case of Usol'tsevs family — РИАМО
- Expert Trepukov ruled out one of the versions of the disappearance of the Usol'tsevs family — Вечерняя Москва
Key entities
- Usoltsevoyev
- Александр Трепуков
- RIA Novosti
- Saint Petersburg
- SPB RU News Newspaper
- Usoltsevovych
- Усольцевых Версия