Prisoners take hostages in a prison colony in the Volgograd region

Several prisoners of the Volgograd Region's penal colony No. 19 have taken hostages, RIA Novosti reports , citing the FSIN press service.

According to the agency's source, there are casualties. According to Baza, four hostages have been taken. TASS, citing operational services, writes that "during the seizure of premises in the penal colony," an FSIN employee was killed. The Shot Telegram channel adds that the man "tried to resist the captors, but was killed with a knife." In addition, the Telegram channel writes , citing an unnamed source, that at least four more FSIN employees were wounded.

Among the hostages, there was probably the head of IK-19 Andrei Devyatov. This is reported by the Telegram channels Baza and Shot . At the same time, according to Baza, Devyatov was able to escape from the captors, and Shot claims that they themselves gave him away. Devyatov is currently reportedly in the hospital. Interfax added that as a result of the colony seizure, three people were sent to intensive care.

Videos of the hostage taking have appeared on social media ( TW: caution, the footage at the link may be shocking ). The video shows several prison employees lying on the floor covered in blood, and attackers armed with knives are standing next to them. They say they belong to the Islamic State. One of them is holding a man in uniform sitting on the floor.

According to Shot, the prisoners could have purchased the butterfly knives with which they attacked the prison staff right on the territory of the penal colony by paying a bribe.

Later, the captors demanded two million dollars and a helicopter, writes the publication "Sapa Kavkaz", citing its own source. Shot claims that the prisoners demand to land the helicopter on the territory of the colony and threaten to kill the hostages if they are pursued.

The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under articles on hostage-taking (Part 4 of Article 206 of the Criminal Code) and disruption of the colony's activities (Part 3 of Article 321 of the Criminal Code). "The necessary investigative actions are being carried out to establish all the circumstances of the incident," the Investigative Committee said in a press release.

To get the main news faster, subscribe to our telegram and twitter .