Ekho Moskvy radio, Moscow, in Russian
15 Sep 06
RACE RIOTS BREAK OUT IN RUSSIA’S VOLGA AREA
[Presenter] Events similar to those in Kondopoga are probably
occurring in another Russian region. Clashes have taken place in the
town of Volsk, Saratov Region. Our correspondent Andrey Triatskiy has
the details.
[Correspondent] The conflict happened in the local club Galaktika on
the night of Sunday [10 September]. Two young men, who were there
with their wives, picked a fight with local Armenians. The dispute
turned into a mass brawl. As a result, one person was killed and
three people suffered stab wounds. The killed person was a
25-year-old local resident, a former paratrooper who served in
Chechnya. One person was injured among the Armenians.
On Monday [11 September] the conflict escalated. Local young people
broke into a bridge and dam technical school. The youths attacked
local Armenians. One student received a stab wound. The riots in
Volsk did not stop with this incident. Our correspondents and locals
say that town residents carried out so-called sweep operations at
night. People from neighbouring districts also took part in the
disturbances. It is unknown whether there have been casualties.
[Presenter] The police in Volsk have been put on alert. The police
are patrolling the town round the clock. I want to stress that
officially the information about the unrest has not been confirmed so
far.
[In a later report at 0614 gmt on 15 September, Ekho Moskvy news
agency said that the local administration had ordered all people from
Russia’s southern republics to leave town markets to avoid acts of
provocation]