The Bolkhov District Court ordered farmers to pay compensation to two beekeepers due to mass…

The Bolkhov District Court ordered farmers to pay compensation to two beekeepers due to mass bee deaths. The farmers are jointly liable to pay over 6 million rubles: 2,037,807.60 rubles to one beekeeper and 4,061,417.70 rubles to the other, plus costs for expert examination and court fees.

In June 2025, mass bee deaths were recorded at apiaries. Laboratory tests found fipronil—a substance toxic to honey bees—in the bee debris. The court determined that the farmers treated rapeseed fields with a fipronil-containing pesticide and failed to notify nearby apiary owners, violating the federal laws "On Safe Handling of Pesticides and Agrochemicals" and "On Beekeeping in the Russian Federation."