MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. A resident of an island in the Russian Far-eastern Kurils chain faces trial for running over a brown bear in his car, local investigators said on Monday.

Police opened an animal cruelty probe against Iturup islander Denis Streltsov, 32, after video of a bear run over by an off-road vehicle was posted online in August.

"Knowing the animal posed no threat to those inside the vehicle, the suspect ran over the bear with his car, weighing more than 2,100 kilogrammes," the Investigation Committee said. "Without stopping the car, he ran over the bear’s body five times." The animal suffered multiple injuries.

Streltsov faces up to two years in prison if convicted.