A man who earlier took several people hostage at a bank in downtown Moscow, released all the hostages and surrendered to police, local media report. An explosive device that he had turned out to be a replica.
The incident took place at a Citibank office on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street, according to TASS.
Three of the bank’s staff members and one customer were inside the building, where the man was threatening to blow himself up, TASS reported, citing the Interior Ministry.
According to some media reports, the man first took seven people hostage but then let three women go, one after another.
Other media outlets say the man initially took five people hostage but then released three women.
Police identified the man involved in the hostage siege.
Earlier Wednesday, the hostage taker, who turned out to be a bankrupt businessman, recorded a video, in which he warned that he was planning to break the law, and posted it on social media. In his video address he tried to draw attention to his case and said that bankruptcy should be regarded as a disease. He also called for the establishment of a special“rehabilitation center” for bankrupt businessmen. – READ MORE