MOSCOW. Aug 23 (Interfax) - Inmates of Penitentiary No. 19 in the Volgograd region have taken hostages, the Federal Penitentiary Service's press bureau said on Friday.
"While a disciplinary commission was in session at Penitentiary No. 19, inmates took penitentiary employees hostage. Efforts are being taken to free the hostages," it said.
The actions of the inmates have led to casualties, it said.
Penitentiary No. 19 of the Federal Penitentiary Service's branch in the Volgograd region is located on the outskirts of Surovikino. It is a high-security penitentiary with a maximum permissible population of 1,229 inmates.