Special forces enter rioting prison in St. Petersburg

Large-scale measures began in Obukhovo at approximately 10:45. The “Taifun” special forces unit has been deployed to the zone, reports Fontanka.ru.
“Despite the fact that forces from the entire St. Petersburg branch of the Federal Penitentiary Service have been pulled into ‘the six’, the zone could flare up any day.”
It should be recalled that the operational situation at Colony No. 6 deteriorated after a significant number of so-called “negative” convicts (those unwilling to comply with the administration’s requirements) arrived at the facility in stages from other regions during the winter and spring of 2012.
The Department of the Penitentiary Service for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region stated that “planned measures” – a general search – were being conducted at IC-6.

In August, staff at the St. Petersburg correctional colony prevented an escape attempt by a convict.

“One of the convicts at Correctional Colony No. 6 in Obukhovo, considering himself innocent, decided to leave the walls of the penal institution,” reports the press service of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. “Following his plan, during sports activities, the fugitive left the local sector of the residential area and headed towards the personnel checkpoint, but the guard on duty, having noticed an unauthorised person, blocked him before the checkpoint. It was there that he was detained by an arriving reserve group.”

An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.
“The management of the department will provide a critical assessment of the actions of all responsible managers and employees of the colony who allowed this incident to occur,” the statement added.
On 10 August, a corpse was discovered in the bushes near the grounds of Correctional Colony No. 6 “Obukhovo”. The hanging body was left almost at the gates of the institution. It is possible that this incident has no relation to IC-6, but the very number of corpses that have appeared recently in and around the general-regime colony is alarming.

This summer, one convict hanged himself, and another was beaten to death with bed frames. A third jumped from a fourth-floor window himself, but survived. Despite the fact that forces from the entire St. Petersburg branch of the Federal Penitentiary Service have been gathered at “the six”, the zone could flare up any day.

In the opinion of experts, the reason for the current situation lies in the ill-conceived actions of the Moscow leadership of the penitentiary service.

Complications at IC-6 began in early 2012, when, by order of Moscow, stages of convicts from other regions – Pskov, Arkhangelsk, Karelia – who were negatively disposed towards the administration and adhered to “thieves’ codes” began arriving at the ordinary St. Petersburg general-regime colony. They are referred to as the “black caste” or “black-walkers”.

The “Taifun” special forces unit has been patrolling the colony’s territory around the clock since July 2012. Colony staff have lost their leverage over the guarded contingent.

A source in the Federal Penitentiary Service emphasised that “the Federal Penitentiary Service Directorate regards the situation at IC-6 as manageable and controlled.”