The Investigative Committee in Tomsk is examining reports of a mass fish kill in the Kirgizka River. Authorities suspect that untreated wastewater may have been repeatedly discharged into the river.

This pollution issue in the Kirgizka River has persisted for over a decade. In 2015, thousands of fish died in the Kirgizka and Chernaya rivers following a sewage discharge, attributed to damaged sewage systems after a hurricane. Residents again complained about foul odors and discharges from a factory zone pipe in 2020.