MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) has refuted reports alleging that whole Penal Colony No.19 (IK-19) in the Volgograd Region was seized by inmates.

"These reports are not true. Today, criminals took hostages and seized one isolated building in the colony’s territory," it said.

Four inmates at a maximum-security penal colony (IK-19) in the city of Surovikino in the Volgograd Region took hostage the eight of the facility’s staff. Four of them dies of knife wounds. The four hostage takers were eliminated.

According to earlier reports, three of the four hostage takers were convicted on drug trade charges and the fourth one - on charges of unintentional killing during a brawl. Two of them were natives of Tajikistan and the other two - on Uzbekistan. One of them was to be released in November 2024 upon the expiration of his prison term.