Volgograd, Russia – In a shocking and violent takeover, a group of ISIS-affiliated inmates has seized control of the IK-19 penal colony in Volgograd, Russia. The situation escalated when the inmates, led by 23-year-old Tajik national Rustamchon Navruzi, took several guards hostage, including one who had his throat slashed.
Disturbing footage from the incident shows a terrified guard with a knife to his throat, while other hostages are seen on the floor, bleeding from their injuries. Navruzi, who reportedly strapped himself with explosives fabricated in the prison’s workshop, is at the center of the standoff, threatening to kill the hostages if their demands are not met.
The inmates have demanded a helicopter, £1.5 million in cash, and safe passage out of the country, vowing to release the hostages only if their demands are fulfilled. Their actions are said to be in retaliation for the Islamist attackers involved in the Crocus City Hall massacre.
The situation has drawn the immediate attention of the Kremlin, with a visibly tense Vladimir Putin promising to address the crisis at a Security Council meeting. Troops have already been deployed to the scene, and there are reports of gunfire as security forces attempt to regain control of the facility.
In a chilling video, one of the wounded prison officers, his face covered in blood, is forced to plead directly to Putin for intervention, illustrating the desperate circumstances inside the Surovikino prison compound.
As the standoff continues, the situation remains fluid, with Russian authorities under immense pressure to resolve the crisis without further loss of life. The world watches closely as Russia grapples with this brazen act of terrorism within its own borders.