A poacher who killed two moose in Balakhna was fined 500,000 rubles.

      On May 16, 2026, at 19:00, Incidents The Balakhna City Court of the Nizhny Novgorod Region issued a verdict in the case of illegal moose hunting. A local resident, accused of committing the crime, was found guilty and fined 500,000 rubles, the united press service of the courts of the Nizhny Novgorod region reported.

      Recall that the incident occurred in February of last year. A 62-year-old resident of the region, along with accomplices, arrived at the Balakhna forestry on a UAZ vehicle. Despite the established ban and the absence of necessary permits, the men decided to hunt moose. In the forest, the poachers shot a moose and a pregnant female moose. After that, the criminals began to butcher the carcasses right at the scene of the incident.

      The illegal actions were noticed by a forestry employee. He discovered the poachers' vehicle and began to pursue them. One of the participants attempted to obstruct the actions of the rangers to give his accomplices time to escape.

      The damage caused to the state amounted to 640,000 rubles. However, by now, the defendant has fully reimbursed this amount.

      Nevertheless, during the court session, he did not admit his guilt, claiming that he discovered the carcasses only after they had been killed.

      The court found the man guilty of illegal hunting using a vehicle, committed by a group of individuals in collusion, causing particularly significant damage.

      The press service clarified that taking into account the personality of the defendant (he is a retired police officer), the court imposed a penalty of a fine of 500,000 rubles with a payment deferral of 10 months.

      The court's verdict has not yet entered into legal force. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.