The key facts

  • The Investigative Committee officially refuted the information about the discovery of remains
  • The report came from a friend of the family, Valentin Degterev, who himself noted the need for verification
  • The family went missing during a hiking trip last September; the investigation is considering versions of an accident and a crime

Official denial

The Investigative Committee of Russia for Krasnoyarsk Krai and Khakassia has refuted reports that appeared about the discovery of remains in the area where the Usoltsev family went missing. According to Anastasia Norsseeva, assistant to the head of the Investigative Committee's regional directorate, the information about the remains does not correspond to reality. This was reported by aif.ru, which is cited by Gazeta.Ru.

Where the report about the remains came from

The report about the discovery was circulated the day before by a friend of the family, Valentin Degterev. He told journalists that he had received the relevant message, which, in his words, required verification, but that he himself was 'inclined to trust this information.' Thus, the information about the remains was never confirmed by the investigation from the start and came from an unofficial source — and now the Investigative Committee has explicitly refuted it.

Context of the search

Irina, Sergey, and their daughter went on a hiking trip last September. When relatives realized that the family had not been in contact for a long time, they contacted the relevant authorities, which led to a large-scale search involving dozens of volunteers. Neither the family nor any traces of them were found; numerous theories emerged around the disappearance — some people believe the Usoltsevs are alive, while investigators are working on versions involving an accident or a crime. Earlier, the investigation also put forward the version that the family may have been attacked by a bear.