Hostage Crisis in Volgograd Oblast: ISIS-Linked Inmates Kill 3 Guards, Demand Ransom

Aug 23, 2024, 11:30 AM

A major hostage situation has erupted at the IK-19 penal colony in Surovikino, Volgograd Oblast, Russia. Prisoners, reportedly linked to the Islamic State, have taken control of the facility during a disciplinary meeting, killing at least three correctional officers and taking five others hostage. The attackers are demanding $2 million and a helicopter. Andrei Devyatov, the head of the prison, managed to escape and is in intensive care. Russian special forces have been deployed to the scene as negotiations are underway to secure the release of the hostages. The incident highlights the growing extremism within Russian prisons amidst ongoing conflicts.