Boxer, 23, seriously injured while fighting off rampaging brown bear

Boxer, 23, is seriously injured while fighting off rampaging brown bear which he stabbed to death after the beast killed his friend on fishing trip in Russia

  • Ilya Medvedev, 23, has been left hospitalised after fighting off a brown bear
  • The Russian professional boxer had been fishing when the animal attacked
  • Fellow angler Vyacheslav ‘Slava’ Dudnik, 48, was killed by the attacking animal
  • Medvedev initially tried shooting at the bear before he stabbed it to death 


A boxer is in a ‘grave’ condition in hospital after fighting off and knifing to death a brown bear that killed his friend.

Ilya Medvedev, 23, was on a fishing trip on the Irtysh River in Russia when he and fellow angler Vyacheslav ‘Slava’ Dudnik, 48, were attacked.

Dudnik was quickly mauled to death by the animal, which then attacked the professional boxer.

Another fisherman Denis Chebotar, 41, was securing their small boat on the river banks when he heard screams and desperate shouts.

The boxer, who has taken part in the Russian championships and other national competitions, had tried to shoot the bear (pictured) but it had knocked the gun out of his hands, so he fought with a knife

The boxer, who has taken part in the Russian championships and other national competitions, had tried to shoot the bear (pictured) but it had knocked the gun out of his hands, so he fought with a knife

Ilya Medvedev, 23, (pictured) was on a fishing trip on the Irtysh River in Russia when he and fellow angler Vyacheslav 'Slava' Dudnik, 48, were attacked

Ilya Medvedev, 23, (pictured) was on a fishing trip on the Irtysh River in Russia when he and fellow angler Vyacheslav 'Slava' Dudnik, 48, were attacked

Ilya Medvedev, 23, (pictured) was on a fishing trip on the Irtysh River in Russia when he and fellow angler Vyacheslav ‘Slava’ Dudnik, 48, were attacked

He rushed into the forest to help his friends and heard shots.

‘I heard screams. They shouted: ‘A bear!’

‘And that’s all… then shots. When I reached the spot, I saw Slava dead,’ he said.

The boxer, who has taken part in the Russian championships and other national competitions, had tried to shoot the bear but it had knocked the gun out of his hands, so he fought with a knife.

‘Ilya was finishing the bear off with a knife,’ Chebotar said. ‘He had time to shoot twice, then obviously retreated, recharged, and made two more shots.’

Yet the fierce bear was still attacking despite its gunshot wounds.

‘The fifth cartridge was not completely into the chamber. He had no time.’

The bear knocked the gun away and ‘Ilya was stabbing it with a knife.’

Finally he killed the bear but suffered grievous wounds.

The boxer (centre), who has taken part in the Russian championships and other national competitions, had tried to shoot the bear but it had knocked the gun out of his hands, so he fought with a knife

The boxer (centre), who has taken part in the Russian championships and other national competitions, had tried to shoot the bear but it had knocked the gun out of his hands, so he fought with a knife

Another fisherman Denis Chebotar, 41, (pictured) was securing their small boat on the river banks when he heard screams and desperate shouts

Another fisherman Denis Chebotar, 41, (pictured) was securing their small boat on the river banks when he heard screams and desperate shouts

Chebotar dragged the ‘barely alive’ boxer to the boat and delivered him to the nearest hospital.

He is now in intensive care in a ‘grave condition’ with lacerated injuries to the head and body, say reports from Uvatsky district, in Tyumen region.

Criminal investigators have begun a probe into the bear attack, say reports.

In 2019, Medvedev won a gold medal in the 64 kg weight category at the Armed Forces Boxing Championships.

source: dailymail.co.uk