The case of the Usoltsev family: the latest details and the role of neural networks in the search for the missing family

The Usoltsev family from Zheleznogorsk disappeared without a trace during a short hiking trip in the Krasnoyarsk Territory on September 28, 2025. The family did not return from the route in the area of Mount Pinocchio, which caused the largest search operation in the region. The investigation is considering several versions and is preparing to resume searches using drones and neural networks in the spring of 2026. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

The disappearance of the Usoltsev family in the Krasnoyarsk Territory: chronology of events and the latest news

Sergey Usoltsev, his wife Irina and their five-year-old daughter Arina went on a hiking trip near Mount Pinocchio on September 28, 2025. Their short hike was supposed to end in a few hours, but the family disappeared without a trace.

Despite the fact that Sergey was considered an experienced taiga ranger, the chosen route in the conditions of autumn weather was fraught with serious risks. By the evening of the same day, the first search operations began, which later developed into the largest operation in the region in recent times.

The investigation believes that the target of the Usoltsevs' family could not be Mount Pinocchio, but the neighboring Malvinka rock. Deputy Head of the investigative department Yana Syrymbetova explained that this assumption is based on Irina Usoltseva's desire to find the so-called "wishing stone", which is located on the way to Malvinka. In support of this version, there are testimonies from tourists who were at that time in the Kuturchinsky Belogorye.

Syrymbetova clarified that the witnesses said that the Usoltsevs arrived with a gap of 30 minutes after another group of tourists, who first turned off the main trail and then returned to the route to Pinocchio. If the Usoltsevs had gone strictly to Pinocchio, tourists could have met them, but this did not happen.

Thanks to these indications, the area of the initial search was narrowed down, but it did not yield results. All the staff of the camp sites and local residents were interviewed, but no one saw the family after going on the route.

The "Stone of Desires" on Malvinka Mountain in the Krasnoyarsk Territory: legend and reality

The object to which, according to investigators, the missing Irina Usoltseva could have been heading is not a historical or cultural monument. Local guides and guides describe it as an ordinary triangular stone by the trail, created relatively recently and used for tourist purposes. According to them, it serves as a landmark on the route rather than an object of sacred significance, and appeared no more than seven years ago.

Despite this, such locations often become popular due to the dissemination of information on social networks and oral recommendations. Tourists traditionally leave coins, ribbons and notes with requests on the so-called "wishing stone".

The investigation does not exclude that Irina Usoltseva's desire to find this object could have influenced the choice of route and led to the family's departure from the main, marked trail to a remote area. According to the search engines, the route branches off in the area of the stone, while one of the trails goes towards a steep section that is poorly visible from the main path.

Possible route of the Usoltsev family

Of the two possible paths — the unofficial paths "Pinocchio" and "Malvinka" — a version with "Malvinka" is unlikely. This route is simple, well-marked, ends at a cliff and does not lead to a plateau, which makes the disappearance of an entire family unlikely. This was announced by Alexey Kulesh, a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and an experienced tourist who participated in the search for the missing Usoltsev family.

The main focus of the search is on the Pinocchio area. According to the available data, the Usoltsevs were heading there. This path is much more difficult: it includes elevation changes, access to an open rocky plateau, where you can get lost or get injured. The combination of difficult terrain and a high risk of going off the trail makes this version a priority.

The search for the Usoltsev family in 2026: renewal date and new technologies

The active phase of the search operation, which involved more than 1.5 thousand rescuers and volunteers from different regions of Russia, officially ended on October 12, 2025. In two weeks, vast territories were surveyed using aircraft and drones with thermal imagers, but to no avail. This is recognized as the largest such operation in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

After that, the search continued in a limited mode by professional rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and small groups of volunteers familiar with the area. By the end of December, all field work was suspended due to the onset of abnormal frosts.

According to the representative of LizaAlert, Serafima Choodu, a new large-scale search will begin in the spring of 2026, after the snow melts and weather conditions improve. Currently, work in the area where the Usoltsev family disappeared is impossible due to extreme frosts reaching -40 degrees.

The main focus will be on the use of high-resolution drones and other technical means to survey hard-to-reach areas, including crevices and sinkholes that could have been missed earlier. It is also planned to study in more detail the channels of small rivers and streams, which could change their condition during the autumn rains and hide possible traces.

Neural networks for Ring search: how AI will help in the investigation of the disappearance

The LizaAlert search and rescue team plans to use neural networks in a new stage of operations. As Serafima Choodu explained, this will automatically analyze thousands of photographs and videos taken by quadrocopters and recognize even faint signs of human presence in a complex natural environment.

The neural network is trained to identify items of equipment, fragments of clothing, or terrain anomalies that indicate the possible location of people. The program is able to identify color spots that are unusual for the natural palette of the taiga, and geometric shapes that resemble artifacts.

Using AI to search for people in the taiga is a relatively new but promising method. It is especially important when working in such vast and hard-to-reach territories as the Kuturchinsky Belogorye. The technology increases the likelihood of detecting traces that may not be visible to the naked eye during routine viewing of materials.

This is the first time in the practice of volunteer search teams in Siberia when artificial intelligence will be used on such a large scale. It is expected that the analysis of the materials accumulated over the autumn using a neural network can provide new clues even before the start of the field stage, indicating the coordinates of suspicious sites for their priority verification.

The strange circumstances of the disappearance of the Usoltsevs

The case contains a number of unusual details that are being actively discussed by the public and experts. During the search of the Usoltsevs' car, 300 thousand rubles in cash were found in the glove compartment.

The Investigative Committee clarified that, according to relatives, Sergei Usoltsev often left large sums in the car, which somewhat reduces the criminal weight of this find. Nevertheless, this fact has given rise to a lot of speculation about possible motives related to Sergei's financial activities. His business and contacts were checked, but there were no obvious threats or conflicts that could lead to a criminal incident.

Another strange fact that caused a stir was that Sergei Usoltsev's page on the VKontakte social network showed the online status on October 3, five days after the disappearance. The investigation gave an official explanation: The man had two phones, and the one that wasn't with him was probably working, and his periodic connection to the network was due to background application updates.

The complete absence of personal belongings, parking traces, or any other evidence in the taiga continues to puzzle both investigators and search engines, making this disappearance atypical even for the difficult taiga terrain. Usually, even in the most tragic cases, it is possible to find at least small objects: a wrapper, a trace of a campfire, a piece of cloth.

What is known about the missing family from Zheleznogorsk

Sergey Usoltsev was the founder of the International Development Center — Zheleznogorsk LLC and in the past was brought to administrative responsibility for violations in the financial and registration spheres.

In the late 1990s, he participated in the implementation of the American Nuclear Cities Initiative program, which made him a prominent figure in the city's business environment. At the time of his disappearance, he had to report on the expenditure of government grants, and funds remained in his company's accounts. These circumstances are being carefully studied, but no direct link between his professional activities and the disappearance has yet been established.

Irina Usoltseva worked as a psychologist, was interested in various spiritual practices and ran a popular blog about harmonious relationships and self-knowledge, having her own audience. Her interest in esotericism, according to some acquaintances, could have influenced her decision to find the "wishing stone."

The main versions of the disappearance of the Usoltsevs

The investigation is considering several key hypotheses of what happened. The main version remains that of a tragic accident in conditions of difficult terrain and rapidly deteriorating weather.

Forensic scientist Alexander Aulov admits that the bodies could have been covered by snow drifts, washed into a watercourse or exposed to wild animals, which explains the difficulties in detecting them.

The spring snowmelt may provide new information. The expert also does not exclude the possibility of falling into a natural trap, for example, into a karst cave or a deep crevasse, the entrance to which could be hidden by vegetation.

Criminal motives, including possible kidnapping or murder, as well as the theory of the voluntary departure of the family for the purpose of staging, have not yet been supported by evidence and are not considered basic. The absence of ransom demands, obvious enemies, and a motive for staging makes these scenarios less likely.