Epiphany Freeze, Minister Resignation, River Pollution in Udmurtia

Sunday is time for news digests from izh1.ru! Let«s recall what happened in the republic from January 19 to 25.

Temperatures Dropped to -39°C in Udmurtia

Udmurtia hadn«t seen real frosts for a long time, so the sharp drop to -39°C (-38.2°F) certainly became the main news of the past week.

The lowest temperature was recorded at the weather station in Debesy, where it fell to -38.5°C (-37.3°F). In second place was Glazov. In the northernmost city of Udmurtia, it cooled to -36.8°C (-34.2°F). In Izhevsk, the thermometer dropped to a maximum of -31.0°C (-23.8°F).

Due to the sudden frosts, several accidents occurred in the republic. For example, in the Igrynsky District, three villages were left without electricity. In Vavozh, a water pipe burst. 219 private homes were left without cold water.

According to forecasts from the regional Hydrometeorological Center, a warming is expected in Udmurtia in the middle of next week.

Svetlana Bolotnikova Steps Down as Udmurtia«s Education Minister

Svetlana Bolotnikova had headed the republic«s education ministry since 2017. Before that, she worked as a mathematics teacher at Sarapul Secondary School No. 7 and Sarapul Pedagogical College.

For her activities, Svetlana Bolotnikova received the following awards: the badge «For Active Work with Youth», the badge «Honored Worker of Secondary Professional Education of the Russian Federation», the honorary title «Honored Education Worker of the Udmurt Republic», and a letter of gratitude from the head of the Udmurt Republic «For many years of conscientious work and contribution to professional education and patriotic upbringing of children and youth».

Her deputy, Elena Busygina, became the acting education minister of Udmurtia.

One Killed in Four-Truck Collision in Alnash District

The tragedy occurred on January 21 at the 372nd kilometer of the federal highway, near the turn to the village of Newye Alnashi. A 66-year-old driver of a DAF truck lost control, drove into the oncoming lane, and collided with a Gazelle van driven by a 29-year-old man. It, in turn, crashed into MAN and Volvo trucks.

The driver of the Gazelle died at the scene. The other participants in the accident were not injured.

Due to severe damage to the truck, the body of the deceased required extraction. State Traffic Inspectorate employees and emergency services worked at the site.

The causes and circumstances of the incident are currently being investigated.

Glazov Hospital Tries to Sue Media Outlet Over News Publication

According to available information, the subject of the dispute between the medical institution and the udm-info information agency was material containing criticism of the clinic«s leadership. On April 19, 2025, on the website and in social networks of udm-info, news was published that Glazov District Hospital does not provide patients with necessary dairy products. Moreover, according to the author of the material, the management of the medical institution deliberately does everything possible to close the dairy kitchen, in particular by not monitoring the condition of equipment.

Representatives of Glazov District Hospital filed a lawsuit for protection of business reputation. However, the defendant managed to challenge their demands. Representatives of the media outlet proved that the material was written based on data from the prosecutor«s office, which is an official reliable source.

As a result of the proceedings, the court dismissed the lawsuit from Glazov District Hospital. The udm-info information agency won the case.

Energy Company Fined for River Pollution in Izhevsk

It was found that in July 2025, the Udmurt branch of PJSC T Plus discharged wastewater into the Karlutka River. As a result, the fertile soil layer was damaged on a land plot with a total area of 131.34 square meters.

An administrative offense case was initiated under Article 7.6 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation «Unauthorized occupation of a water body or use of it in violation of established conditions» and Part 2 of Article 8.7 «Failure to fulfill obligations for land reclamation, mandatory land improvement measures, and soil protection».

As a result of consideration of prosecutorial response measures, the official who was found guilty in the incident was fined 60,000 rubles (about $667 at current rates).