REN TV will show an investigation into the story of Mikhail Pichugin's deadly drift

The new REN TV documentary is based on the exclusive revelations of Mikhail Pichugin, the only man in the world who spent 67 days in the Sea of Okhotsk on a rubber boat without food and water. A thousand kilometers from the coast in one of the harshest seas in the world, where it is impossible to survive by boat in the fall during a storm. Why did Pichugin remain silent for a whole year?!

This story began in August 2024, when Mikhail went with his older brother Sergei and his 16-year-old nephew Ilya to the Shantar Islands to fulfill a teenager's dream of seeing bowhead whales. Then there was the breakdown of the engine in the middle of the Sea of Okhotsk, a desperate struggle with hunger, thirst and the elements ... He, who had lost 50 kilograms, was found in a boat next to the bodies of his brother and nephew, who did not survive this voyage.

Why did Mikhail Pichugin demand to take the knife from his nephew, why did his brother jump overboard? What will he say to those who accused him of cannibalism? What really happened to them during those terrible days? And why is the sole survivor now facing 7 years in prison? For the first time and only on REN TV, Mikhail Pichugin will tell everything himself.

The authors of the investigation talked with friends of the Pichugin brothers, Mikhail's ex-wife, his daughter, and Pichugin's mother share their memories of the incident. For the first time, viewers will be shown footage from Mikhail Pichugin's personal archive, including a video taken at the beginning of the trip, which last captured Sergei Pichugin and his son Ilya alive.

The film offers the viewer a complete chronicle of the tragic expedition – all the facts, evidence and testimonies are arranged in strict chronological order to answer key questions: why Mikhail Pichugin managed to survive and what is the degree of his guilt in what happened on the high seas?

The documentary film "Survivor in the Sea of Okhotsk. The incredible story of Mikhail Pichugin's Deadly Drift" will air on Saturday, October 25, at 16:55 on the REN TV channel.