The Topchikha District Court ordered a farmer in the Altai region to pay about 2 million…

The Topchikha District Court ordered a farmer in the Altai region to pay about 2 million rubles for the mass death of bee colonies. The court found that the entrepreneur failed to notify beekeepers about pesticide treatments, which led to the poisoning and death of 91 colonies and the complete loss of eight colonies in the summer of 2025.

The apiary owner linked the bee deaths to pesticide application on nearby rapeseed fields by the farming enterprise. The defendant denied responsibility, claiming he did not use insecticides and that other agricultural producers operate within a seven-kilometer radius of the apiary. The investigation revealed that the cause of death was exposure to chemicals classified as first-class hazardous substances used during rapeseed treatment.