Young women 'froze to death after refusing to spend night with male friends' in hut

Police are investigating the circumstances after Anastasia Gnenkova and Alyona Dergunova, both 20, had driven in two cars with the unnamed men into the woods. The women apparently refused to stay the night with the men in a remote hunting hut in the Us-Bes area, 45 kilometres from Olyokminsk, and tried to walk to safety. 

On the morning of 21 December, one of the missing girls was found dead near a stove in an abandoned summer farm in the forest, some 10 km from the village of Solyanka. The body of her friend was found nearby. 

Police believe they may have been able to find wood for the stove when they were overcome by the cold. While locals are used to such temperatures, it was the first harsh cold of the winter, and the young women were not properly dressed for a long walk.

Police say there were no traces of violence against the pair.  

Anastasia's (Nastya's) boyfriend Alexander Kuzmenko - not one of the two men - wrote on his social media: 'Sorry, I failed to protect you, Nastya.' He added: 'Forgive me, I will always love you, Nastya, will miss you.'

Anastasia was from the area but had moved to regional capital Yakutsk. She had returned to visit family and friends. Alyona was from Neryugry, and was studying to work in the fire protection service.

Olyokminsk is 650 km south-west of Yakutsk. Solyanka is 25 km north of Olyokminsk.