The violent hostage crisis that unfolded on August 23, 2024, at Correctional Colony No. 19 in Russia’s Volgograd region has come to an end after a swift intervention by Russian security forces. The incident, which began during a disciplinary committee meeting, resulted in multiple casualties and injuries among prison staff.According to the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), four inmates, identified as citizens of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, took 12 people hostage, including eight employees of the colony and four other inmates. The attackers, armed with knives, claimed affiliation with the Islamic State terrorist organization. Initially, they demanded a helicopter and $2 million for their escape, but later reportedly reduced their demands to a car and a rifle.Russian special forces, including snipers from the Russian National Guard, successfully neutralized all four hostage-takers and freed the remaining hostages. However, the operation came at a cost. The FSIN reported that three employees of the Volgograd colony were killed during the incident, with several others injured. Among the injured was the head of the special facility, Andrei Devyatov, who was reported to be in intensive care.This hostage crisis has raised serious concerns about the presence of radicalized inmates in Russian prisons and the security measures in place. Kirill Kabanov, a member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights, suggested that the problem stems from the difficulty in controlling radicalized inmates and the influence of criminal diasporas in the region.The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on charges of hostage-taking and disruption of the activities of correctional institutions. As investigations continue, this incident marks the second such hostage situation in Russian prisons this summer, following a similar event in Rostov-on-Don in June.
Key points
- Russian security forces successfully ended a hostage situation at Correctional Colony No.
- The incident resulted in three prison staff fatalities and multiple injuries, raising concerns about prison security and radicalization.
- This marks the second hostage crisis in Russian prisons this summer, following a similar incident in Rostov-on-Don.
19 in Volgograd, neutralizing four IS-affiliated inmates.
Contradictions👾There are conflicting reports about the exact number of casualties and injuries, with some sources reporting one death while others report three.
👾The demands of the hostage-takers were initially reported as $2 million and a helicopter, but later sources claim they reduced their demands to a car and a rifle.
