Six inmates escaped a prison in central Russia’s Lipetsk region on Saturday, according to Lipetsk Governor Igor Artamonov, who added later that two of them had been recaptured in the neighbouring Tambov region.
Lipetsk prison officials told local news outlet Gorod48 that the convicts had escaped by digging an underground tunnel, while Telegram channel SHOT published APBs on five of the six escapees, all of them reported to be Uzbek nationals, convicted of drug trafficking, rape and paedophilia.
The regional Investigative Committee announced on Saturday that it had opened a criminal case against prison officials for their negligence resulting in the prisoners’ escape. According to the investigators, the prisoners escaped on Friday evening.
“I understand that such news may cause concern,” Artamonov wrote, urging citizens not to panic and adding that the authorities “expect a large number of fake reports related to the escape”, as “the information war continues, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not miss the opportunity to take advantage of this situation”.
In June, another jail break was reported in southern Russia’s Rostov region, as six inmates, some of whom were facing terror charges, broke the bars on their cells and took two prison guards hostage. The hostage-takers released video footage of the unfolding crisis, pledging allegiance to Islamic State. All six inmates were reportedly killed as security forces stormed the prison.