Medical history: livestock is being massively destroyed in the Novosibirsk region

Livestock from local residents are being destroyed in villages in several districts of the Novosibirsk region. For many, this was a serious blow, because animal husbandry is often the main way to provide for their family. Regional veterinary services are talking about an epidemic of pasteurellosis. However, according to experts, this disease is completely curable and does not require such harsh measures. Izvestia dealt with the situation.

Why are cattle being destroyed?

In March, there were reports that in several settlements of the Novosibirsk region, the authorities began to massively seize livestock from residents and destroy it. We are talking primarily about the territories of the Ordynsky district, for example, the village of Kozikha, where the actions of veterinary services caused protests by local residents. They recorded an appeal to the head of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin. Against this background, the Investigative Committee of Russia organized an investigation into possible violations by officials of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Novosibirsk Region under Article 293 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Negligence").

Initially, the Ministry of Agriculture of the region stated that the livestock began to be seized due to an outbreak of rabies. Later, residents were informed that the animals were being destroyed due to the unfavorable epizootic situation amid outbreaks of pasteurellosis and rabies.

According to the veterinary department of the Novosibirsk region on March 12, the region is in an "uncertain status, with vaccination" for pasteurellosis. It is emphasized that the specialists of the state veterinary service "promptly carried out diagnostic studies; measures were taken to localize the foci; veterinary control in the adjacent territories was strengthened." In addition, "the tense epizootic situation for rabies continues to persist in the region" — since the beginning of the year, 50 unfavorable points for this disease have been registered. Moreover, there is a "significant increase in the number of cases among pets."

The Veterinary Department of the Novosibirsk region reported on the localization of pasteurellosis in 42 foci, where some of the infected livestock were removed from private farms for destruction. According to local authorities, cases of pasteurellosis were recorded in February in Cherepanovsky and Karasuksky districts, in March — in Ordynsky, Bagan and Kupinsky districts.

However, the mass destruction of animals resulted in a serious confrontation: people began to block the entrances to villages, and veterinary services began to involve the police in order to gain access to the animals that should be destroyed.

Farmers claim that they kill supposedly completely healthy animals without signs of disease. Another complaint is that the livestock owners are not shown any documents on what basis this is happening.

Local residents emphasize that livestock is the main source of income for many families. Personal subsidiary farms provide people with meat and milk, and products are sent for sale. The compensation offered is small: 171 rubles per kilogram.

Are the local authorities acting legally

Residents are especially surprised that the reason why animals are being destroyed is precisely pasteurellosis and rabies. These diseases usually do not involve such harsh measures.

— Veterinary regulations regarding pasteurellosis provide for the treatment of sick animals (with the exception of birds) and vaccination of healthy animals. The alienation of animals during pasteurellosis is not provided for," Alexander Levikov, a lawyer specializing in veterinary medicine and sanitary and epidemiological welfare, told Izvestia.

In case of rabies, he said, it is allowed to remove animals, but not all, but only those who showed clinical signs characteristic of rabies during the observation period.

Epizootologist (veterinary epidemiologist), forensic veterinary expert Svetlana Shchepetkina added that veterinary services are required to provide local residents with documents on the basis of which animals are destroyed.

— According to Part 3 of Article 15 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, any regulations affecting the rights of citizens cannot be applied unless they are officially published for public information. The procedure for the removal of animals is clearly spelled out in Government Decree No. 310. It explicitly states that a copy of the decision on the organization and conduct of the removal of animals must be sent to the owners of the animals. Hiding these documents is a direct violation of the law," she stressed.

The Rosselkhoznadzor informed Izvestia that the Veterinary Department of the Novosibirsk region is receiving the necessary methodological support on the issue of preventing the spread and elimination of pasteurellosis. Preventive vaccination of susceptible animals is carried out, as well as measures to curb the illegal transportation of animals that may be carriers of the pathogen.

"This situation is mainly regional in nature and is already stabilizing at the moment," the ministry said.

What other versions of the reason for the destruction of animals are there?

A version appeared in the media that the problems may be related not to pasteurellosis, but to other diseases.

The Association of Peasant (Farmer) Farms and Agricultural Cooperatives of the Novosibirsk Region (AKKON) told Izvestia that they had received complaints from farmers about outbreaks of rabies and other animal diseases associated with unclear or infectious causes since October 2025.

—Farmers in Maslyaninsky and Cherepanovsky districts were concerned that cattle were being burned daily in a large agricultural enterprise next to them," says ACCON CEO Alla Khmeleva. — Farmers were afraid that their cattle would become infected, and independently took measures to ensure safety.

According to her, signals that cattle were sick in one of the large farms in the Ordynsky district were received by ACCORD from local farmers on March 4.

At the same time, ACCON also did not see a regulatory act on the basis of which healthy animals are seized and destroyed, she confirmed.

The Rosselkhoznadzor assured that the Russian system of the state veterinary service "has been repeatedly noted at the international level," which made it possible to obtain and annually confirm international well-being statuses for such infectious diseases as foot-and-mouth disease, spongiform encephalopathy of cattle, contagious pleuropneumonia of cattle and plague of small ruminants.

Novosibirsk region belongs to zone II "Western Siberia— Ural" (free from foot-and-mouth disease with vaccination). Since 2022, the region has been carrying out routine vaccination of all cattle and small cattle against foot-and-mouth disease of serotypes O, A, Asia-1.

The Federal Center for Animal Health emphasized: in winter, outbreaks of animal pasteurellosis were recorded in a number of settlements in the Novosibirsk region, and the cause is called "abnormal frosts that came to Western Siberia in January."

"Pasteurellosis is a common animal disease, and infection of livestock most often occurs through feed, since the pathogen is contained in the soil and is quite resistant in the environment, including to low temperatures," the department said. — In this case, such a massive disease was caused by a decrease in the immunity of animals against the background of stress caused by sudden temperature changes.

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Novosibirsk region told Izvestia that compensation payments will be provided to owners who are faced with the withdrawal of livestock due to quarantine for pasteurellosis and rabies. And the Ministry of Labor and Social Development of the Novosibirsk region will determine additional social measures for families who will lose income after the removal of animals. State support measures will include the purchase of young cattle.

Svetlana Shchepetkina notes that Russia has been recognized as a territory free of foot—and-mouth disease with vaccination - that is, there may be a disease in the country, but it can be controlled with vaccinations of all susceptible livestock. Local outbreaks of the disease are possible, she believes.

— The destruction of livestock is a way that can provoke an uncontrolled movement of infection, — said the interlocutor of Izvestia.

The epizootologist called for a thorough investigation of the causes of epizootic outbreaks and the organization of antiepizootic measures with the involvement of relevant experts.

The Ministry of Agriculture and the Veterinary Department of the Novosibirsk Region did not respond to inquiries about the decree on the basis of which the animals were destroyed.

It should be noted that a similar situation has developed in the Altai Territory.: There, the veterinary department "localized the foci of pasteurellosis" in the territories of two large enterprises (MitProm LLC and EkoNiva Altai LLC). And local residents appealed to the authorities of the region because of the decision to destroy more than 90 thousand pigs.

However, Ilya Bereznyuk, managing partner of Agro & Food Communications, notes that there is "a lot of speculation" around this topic now, but "in essence we are talking about local outbreaks of pasteurellosis, which do not pose a systemic threat to either the domestic market or the export potential of the industry."

He called pasteurellosis a widespread and long-studied bacterial disease for which effective vaccines and treatment regimens exist, but in some cases and with strict observance of the rules, according to him, "it is advisable to slaughter and destroy animals."