Dead fish, foul tap water, and a criminal investigation: what’s happening to the Tura River in Russia’s Tyumen region

For more than a week, residents of Tyumen have been posting on social media about the state of the Tura River, which runs through the city.

They complain of a strong, foul smell near the river, and they have posted photographs of dead fish heaped along the banks.

Residents also describe a foul smell coming from the tap water in their apartments, and some say the water has given them conjunctivitis, cystitis, and intestinal infections.

On July 24, after a woman in the city raised the issue on social media, Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s main federal criminal investigation agency, opened a criminal case over the provision of services that fail to meet safety requirements.

The committee’s chairman, Alexander Bastrykin, demanded a report on the progress of the investigation. ...