A criminal investigation has been launched into an attack on an environmentalists' camp in Russia's Irkutsk region. One man was killed during the assault, and several others were taken to hospital.

The camp was established in July near the city of Angarsk to protest against nuclear waste re-processing at a local chemicals plant.
Maksim Nikulin, an environmentalist from the camp, says the attackers were skinheads.

“Around 0500 local time skinheads attacked our environmentalists' camp. They cried out fascist mottos. There were some 15 to 20 young men. They started to shoot from airguns. But everybody was asleep except the three on duty. Attackers also had clubs and stones. One man has died in a hospital and two are still in a grave condition. Around eight have been injured – some quite severely – and they needed doctor's help. We expected such an attack, and on the night there were three men on duty instead of the usual two. But it didn't help,” said the activist.