According to the case materials, in June 2025, 50 cows belonging to the defendant were grazing unattended in an agricultural field and destroyed cucumber plantings over an area of 1 hectare. The crop was completely lost, and the damage was recorded in inspection reports by officials.
In autumn 2025, the farmer demanded compensation for the damage, but the livestock owner refused. Before the trial, an independent expert estimated the losses at 3.7 million rubles.
In court, the defendant’s representative objected to the claim and argued that the herders quickly drove the animals off the field and that crop yields were not affected. The defense also disputed the area of the damaged plantings, noting that the expert had not taken measurements.
Since the parties disagreed on the amount of damage, the court ordered an appraisal examination. It determined the amount of lost profit at 3.4 million rubles, and neither side disputed its findings.
The court found that the destruction of the crops occurred because of uncontrolled grazing by livestock belonging to the defendant, who, as the owner of the animals, failed to ensure proper control over them. The defense’s arguments that the extent of the damage had not been proven were rejected, and the court accepted as reliable the written evidence, witness testimony, and the expert opinion establishing the area at 1 hectare.
The court referred to Article 137 of the Civil Code, under which the general rules on property apply to animals, and to Article 210 of the Civil Code, according to which the owner bears the burden of maintaining their property. In the end, the defendant was ordered to pay 3.4 million rubles in compensation for damages, 20,000 rubles for the independent assessment, and 101,000 rubles for the court examination; the total amounted to 3.6 million rubles.
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