Researchers believe that the campfire under the tree was lit by agents, who then led the Dyatlov group down the slope. This would explain the large, unused amount of brushwood lying near the campfire. One argument is that the students, experienced in mountain expeditions, left the tent without proper clothing. In addition, the injuries on Kolevatov's body (a wound behind the ear) corresponded to one of the killing methods used by intelligence services.
Also, the injuries to Dubinina's and Zolotaryov's ribs may have been caused by deliberate pressure with knees on their rib cages. The bruises on the tourists' bodies may have been caused by being struck by the butt of a firearm, as supported by their characteristic U-shape. It is recognized that some members of the group may have been tortured, some may have tried to escape (for example, Dyatlov, whose place of death indicated an attempt to return to the tent, or Doroshenko, who may have tried to climb the Siberian pine tree on which fragments of human tissue were secured), and after being killed, those tortured were carelessly thrown into the ravine.
